The Apprentice
by I Am Not a Human Being
Summary: Anakin defeats Palpatine and doesn't turn to the Dark Side, but his 3 year-old son Luke is kidnapped. Ten years pass and Luke is separated from his Sith master and runs into his Jedi father, but he holds many secrets of his life growing up under the influence of the Dark Side.
1. Chapter 1

Ever since the death of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine thirteen years ago, a new wave hit the galaxy. It was a wave of change. Was it the change that Palpatine wanted? Who knows, he's not around to comment at the moment. But for those who know the difference between the Jedi and the Sith—the very _very_ few people that actually understand the _difference_—can attest that there was a great disturbance in the Force. This disturbance grew stronger year by year for thirteen years until a certain Force-sensitive individual decided that he did not want anything to do with it anymore. Some people just can't handle change. How ironic, because once he decided he no longer wanted any part of it—whatever "it" is—he unintentionally changed the entire direction of his life.

**CHAPTER ONE**

The cantina was chosen for its perfect milieu—dim lighting, the noise of cutlery banging against each other, the quiet conversations on each table. No one would suspect two criminals sitting on the edge, discussing a job.

The boy donning all-black and a pair of sunglasses exhaled a puff of smoke and lowered the cigarette from his mouth. But anyone around could tell he was out of place, one of the other customers even making the joke that it was passed his bedtime.

He paid no attention to the remarks and waited for the old Duros to sit down across from him.

"Alright, Bane, you have kept me waiting long enough."

Cad Bane studied the curious-looking minor, "I actually arrived on time, but I was surprised to see a…_child._"

The boy rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, "I'm thirteen."

Bane smirked, "Alright… But it's not my responsibility if you get arrested on the job…or sent back to your room."

Some of the nearby customers chuckled, overhearing the bounty hunter's pipe at the boy's age.

The boy had already had enough and began getting up from his seat.

Bane chuckled, his arms outstretched, "Sit down, sit down! It's all in good humor."

The boy took another puff of his smoke, "Look, Bane, I'm a busy guy—"

"I know," Bane replied, looking serious, "they all told me you're the best at what you do. You've made quite the name for yourself in the past couple weeks. Speaking of which, what exactly is your name?"

"Irrelevant," the boy replied, sitting back down. "Show me the target."

Bane removed a data pad from a pocket inside his jacket. He activated it, and it revealed a holographic image of a skull. "It's a crystal skull. Only three of them exist. My…_employer_…already possesses two of them. This last one is located in the Galactic Museum, here on Coruscant. It is heavily guarded."

The boy nodded, "That's not a problem. When do you need it by?"

Before Bane could answer, a waiter arrived at the table. "Would you like refills?"

Bane sighed impatiently, "No, leave."

The droid turned to look at Luke, "Excuse me, Sir, we have a strict rule of no smoking."

"You will allow it this time." The boy replied, not looking at the droid.

"I will allow it this time." The droid agreed, and hovered away.

Bane frowned at the mysterious blonde boy, "What did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't." The boy answered, taking another puff of his stick. "Again, when's the deadline?"

Bane readjusted his sitting position, shrugging. "A week shall do it."

"I can give it to you in the next three hours."

Bane choked on his drink. "How?"

"My methods are not important to you; just know that I can deliver."

Bane nodded.

"I want half."

Bane frowned, "Half of what? The skull? No way!"

"Half of the money." The boy gritted his teeth.

Bane scoffed, "I wasn't paid yet, and even when I am, you get only a third. No more."

"You're lying." The boy said. "Your employer actually gave you half of the money before the job. I want all of your pre-payment. All five million credits."

Bane stared at the boy in a questionable manner, "What does a ten year-old plan to do with five million credits?"

"I'm thirteen." The boy repeated.

Bane crossed his arms, "I will give you four million."

"I'm not one to compromise."

Bane sighed, "I will give you four million, plus an—"

"No."

Bane sighed impatiently, "Five million? Fine. But I expect it back in _two_ hours."

The boy nodded, "Deal."

* * *

><p>Han Solo remained at his post, exactly twenty blocks away from the Galactic Museum in which he would be robbing that night. He took out his comlink from the backpack that was slung over his shoulder.<p>

"Solo, are you at your station?"

Han looked around at the alleyway in which he was parked in, "Yup, and the speeder is ready to go."

"Copy that."

After a couple of minutes, Han's companion jumped inside the speeder, "Go!"

Han floored the pedal while still trying to stay hidden within Coruscant's traffic. "How much time, Luke?"

"Two hours." Luke answered, grabbing his backpack. "Do you have all the stuff ready?"

Han nodded, "I knock the guards out, you deal with the security cameras and the sensors."

Luke nodded, "Here it is."

The two boys arrived at the Museum. Several guards paroled the entrance as well as the entire perimeter of the building.

Han pulled out a blaster and aimed for each of the guards. He ran after each guard that he shot and made sure that the droid would fall softly to the ground so that the others wouldn't notice. He repeated this tactic until all of the droids had been disabled.

Meanwhile, Luke had been manipulating the security cameras stationed throughout the outside. He fixed them so that they appeared to stay functioning; however they were not filming any live action. They were repeating the footage caught from the previous hour when there was no one trying to rob the Museum.

With the help from some special—and illegal—equipment, Han unlocked the doors.

They entered the exhibit and got to work. Luke and Han were professionals at what they did. In fact, they had been involved in several notorious crimes—that had never been solved, of course—in the past couple of years.

Lately, however, the duo has done something different. They were sick of working for other people, so now they only work for themselves. They make their own money, instead of giving it to someone else.

Han eyed the skull, which was enclosed inside of a large glass cage. The skull was hovering inside the cage, with lights all around the illuminate the precious artifact.

Just as Han was about to take a step closer, Luke pushed him back.

"Wait." Luke warned. He pulled out a small spray-can that contained a chemical that would reveal any sensors in the room. He sprayed it around until a cluster of red lasers were shown to surround the glass cage.

"How are we going to get through that?" Han moaned.

Luke took a deep breath and then lunged over one laser, while trying to dodge under another. He made his way through the maze of sensors until he reached the other side. He located the remote to deactivate them so that Han could make his way through with the other equipment.

Han came over and pulled out a device that would be able to cut a thin opening in the glass until he formed a small hole. Using the Force, Luke levitated the skull out of the cage and into a small leather bag that was soon tucked safely into Luke's jacket pocket.

Han replaced the skull with a look-alike that he took from the gift shop located near the entrance of the Museum. He then relocated the glass that was removed and worked to make it look like it was never cut in the first place.

Han took his equipment and ran out of the exhibit as Luke reactivated the sensors and made his way back through them. They left the Museum with just enough time to readjust all of the security cameras.

The droids, who had all been deactivated before, were all awoken. Luke and Han jumped back into the speeder that was parked a block away from the building and sped off into the night.

* * *

><p>Han waited in the speeder as he watched Luke head to the same restaurant that he visited earlier that night.<p>

Luke held out the leather bag.

Bane revealed himself, coming out of a nearby alleyway. He took the leather bag, inspected its contents, and then nodded. He tucked the bag inside of his jacket pocket.

Luke cleared his throat.

"Don't worry, I did not forget about our agreement." Cad Bane took out a sack filled with the desired amount of money, and gave it to the boy.

"Good work. But again, what is your name? Just in case I wanted to ask for your assistance again?"

"You don't need to know." Luke tucked his money away, and then jumped off of the ledge of the sidewalk.

Bane, smirking to himself, took out his comlink.

As his device connected to his employer, he took out the crystal skull and laughed at it.

A small blue holographic image of a young man sprang up from the comlink. "Yes, Bane?"

Bane, still smiling, just disposed of the priceless artifact in his hand in a nearby garbage dispenser. "I found the boy you are looking for."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This chapter was written in 2011...and I'd like to believe that my writing style has greatly improved since then. For those of you wondering if it's worth it to continue reading, here are some (non-spoiler) excerpts of later moments in the story:**

**.**

Luke just looked up at Anakin unbelievably, "Isn't this all a little unorthodox? I mean, I committed a pretty big crime. Do other criminals get this punishment?"

Anakin shrugged, "You're special."

"Because I'm a Sith? Doesn't that make me worse, though?"

Anakin shook his head, smiling, "You're not a Sith. You're someone who has been trained in the ways of the Dark Side, but you don't know half as much about the Force as you think you do. You're not a Sith." (Ch. 12)

**.**

Leia narrowed her eyes, looking between Han and Luke. She turned to Luke, "Why are you friends with a criminal anyway?"

Luke scoffed, "I'm not friends with Cad Bane!"

"No, I mean _him_." Leia jerked her head towards Han.

Han raised an eyebrow, "Oh, I'm not sitting right here or anything," he said sarcastically.

"Why do you think Han's a criminal?" Luke asked, slightly amused.

Leia shrugged, "I saw him at the CPPD one time."

Han frowned, "You were _there_?"

Luke made a short nod in understanding and then sat properly in his seat in order to pilot the speeder. He activated the vehicle and then sped off into the night.

Han sat gaping at Leia, "Hold on, who are _you_?"

Leia smirked and turned back around to look at Han, "Leia. And the reason I saw you at the prison was because my dad worked there for a short time."

Han's eyes bulged out, "Your dad's a _cop_? Luke, why are we trusting the daughter of a _cop_?!"

Luke shrugged, not looking back at Han. "Her dad doesn't scare me."

Leia laughed. (Ch. 27)

**.**

"You're a liar." Windu said.

Luke's eyebrows were raised, and he actually felt scared of Windu. He looked over at Yoda, almost pleadingly. Yoda was solemnly quiet.

"Whose lightsabers are those?" Windu asked, pointing at the weapons in Luke's hands.

Luke bit his lip.

Windu nodded, as if he was right all along about Luke. "You're coming back to the Temple with us."

Luke frowned, "I swear, I didn't do anything to hurt—"

Mace abruptly turned back to Luke and held out his hand. Luke stared at his open palm for a moment and then realized that Windu was requesting the lightsabers. With a sigh, Luke surrendered the weapons.

He was in big trouble. And worst yet, there was nobody to defend him. (Ch. 48)

**.**

"What are you waiting for, Landski?" Luke goaded, his eyes narrow and his voice low. "You have your lightsaber out. Go on, avenge your friend's death. I know that's why you're here."

Jerome roared and ran at Luke with his lightsaber held above his head, ready to attack his enemy. (Ch. 57)

**.**

Han shrugged, "Luke saw Vader's vision for the galaxy as a way of spreading ultimate peace in the end. He never ran away with the intent of joining the other side." He chuckled, "He kind of feels like he was bullied into it, as a matter of fact." (Ch. 60)

**.**

Sometimes the sheer absurdity of Luke's life was too much to handle. How, after years of hating the Jedi (and his life), could Luke find himself sitting among them at the very Jedi Temple on Coruscant? (Ch. 62)

**.**

Padmé smiled, "My point, Luke, is that there is no need to hate _Corellia_ as a whole. No good ever comes from stereotyping and hating an entire group of people."

Luke looked down at his hands for a distraction, wondering if Padmé wasn't actually referring to Corellia, but was instead talking about the Jedi Order. (Ch. 66)


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

It's been thirteen years since the end of the Clone Wars, and thirteen years since Anakin Skywalker could not enter his wife's home of 500 Republica in broad daylight without seeming suspicious.

He went upstairs to his wife's office, knowing that when she wasn't at the Senate working she would instead be at _home_ working. After all these years she was still able to hold the seat in the Senate representing the Chommell Sector. It seemed that her scandalous marriage to a Jedi Knight was not enough to ruin her poll ratings, but instead make her much more popular among the younger demographics of her Naboo constituents.

He entered the room and sat on one of the chairs in front of her desk. She was working diligently, reading up on some new Senate bill.

She looked up and smiled, "How was your day?"

Anakin shrugged, "Same old. Someone's trying to ruin the peace in the galaxy and the Jedi have to go fix it."

Padmé smiled, resting her chin in her hands. "Anything interesting?"

Anakin's expression became more tired, "Yes actually. Has Senator Mothma told you anything?"

Padmé sighed, "Yes, she blames it on the neo-Separatists. She thinks they're trying to ruin her agenda."

Anakin nodded grimly, "Several important documents were stolen, right from her desk. The Council appointed me to lead the search for the criminals who are responsible for this."

Padmé frowned, "Wouldn't that be the job of police department?"

Anakin shrugged, "It's a long story. They think that this burglary is linked to several other crimes of the past couple months. The police have no new leads. They are actually beginning to suspect that these two criminals are responsible for crimes all around the Core Worlds. They figure that if they get a Jedi involved, the problem would be solved in no time."

Padmé shrugged, "If that's what it takes…"

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon, and Luke and Han were sitting in a crowded diner.<p>

Han, always one with a monstrous appetite, began shoveling food into his mouth as soon as the waitress-droid set his plate on the table. Luke, on the other hand, wasn't as hungry.

Being on the run for the past several weeks had made Luke a very paranoid boy. He paid more attention to the HoloNews that was on than he paid attention to his food. This allowed Han to sneak most of Luke's fries from his plate.

"I don't know what you're so concerned about," Han said, his voice muffled by all of the food rolling around in his mouth. "It's not like the news is gonna feature anything about—"

Luke jumped in his seat, "Look at that!"

Han whipped his head around to look at what Luke was pointing at.

The HoloNews began to broadcast a newswoman revealing an urgent announcement.

"We have identified the two criminals who stole documents from Senator Mothma's office two nights ago as the same two criminals who stole a priceless crystal from the Galactic Museum here on Coruscant. The police have no further leads, but they urge the people to be on the lookout for any more suspicious activity. The police warn us that these two criminals have been on stealing rampages throughout the Core Worlds, and there are multiple governments on the lookout—"

Luke sprang up from his seat, threw a couple of credits at the table, and stormed out of the diner. Han, after scooping more food into his mouth, got up and followed his friend.

Han had to run after Luke, who was briskly walking through the crowd on the sidewalk.

"Luke," Han huffed, too full of food to run, "wait up!"

Luke didn't listen. He kept walking at the same pace he was going, forcing Han to have to run to get beside him.

"Luke, what the hell is wrong with you? Where are you going?"

"We have to get out of here," Luke said, still weaving his way through unhappy Coruscanti citizens.

"What! Why?"

"Because! Didn't you hear what they said on the news?"

"Yeah," Han nodded, "I heard them say that they thought we were the ones who stole something from Senator Whatever's office. It's just a little bit of confusion, really! They're just trying to make it look like they have some new leads!"

"No!" Luke stopped, facing Han.

The two stood in the middle of the street.

Luke pointed back in the direction of the diner they just came from, "What we saw on the news wasn't some coincidence. It's not the police's fault that they think we stole some political documents. The police were _tricked_ into thinking it."

Han—never the brightest student—frowned. "What do you mean?"

Luke sighed and pulled Han into the corner away from the crowd. "Listen, the news is following our, er, adventures. Correct?"

Han nodded.

"They know we stole the crystal skull and all those other little things, correct?"

Han nodded.

"So it seems logical that the cops would think that _we_ broke into the Senate, correct?"

Han nodded.

"But we _didn't_ break into the Senate, did we?"

Han shook his head, "No we did not."

"But the police isn't that stupid," Luke continued. "I think they would be able to figure out if the people who broke into the Senate were the same people who broke into the museum."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Luke responded, "that someone is purposely trying to make it look like _we_ were the ones who broke into the Senate. Even though we actually didn't."

Han gasped, "Jared!"

Luke nodded solemnly.

"He found us!" Han exclaimed.

Luke nodded again, pursing his lips.

"What the hell are we gonna do about it?" Han cried.

"We're gonna get the hell out of here, that's what we're gonna do." Luke said quickly, "Jared knows we're here, and now he's trying to detain us here. He thinks he got us cornered, but he's wrong."

"Force yeah, he's wrong!" Han agreed. "I say we take the first flight out of here and head straight for the Outer Rim. Never come back again."

"We'll have to change our names and our appearances." Luke agreed, "We can never come back."

* * *

><p>A young man walked up the many steps leading to the Coruscant Police Department.<p>

The droid greeted the visitor, "May I help you with something?"

The boy nodded, "Can I report some information I know about the two criminals who broke into the Senate a couple nights ago?"

"Of course," the droid replied.

Anakin Skywalker, who had been lurking in the lobby of the police department, listened in.

"They're going to be leaving the planet soon," the boy warned. "You should probably have extra security at all the main spaceports in the city."

The droid recorded this information down, "Thank you. Please state how you know this information."

The mischievous teenager smiled, "I just do."

The boy turned around and headed back out the door. But suddenly, out of the blue, a man stepped in front of him and stopped him.

The boy looked up to the tall man, "Hello?"

"Did I just overhear that you have a little information about the two criminals?" The man said.

The boy just raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, maybe. And who are you, exactly?"

"I'm Anakin Skywalker, I'm in charge of arresting them."

The boy's jaw dropped. He stuttered, "Uh, yeah, well I just know who they are, that's all. No big deal."

Anakin folded his arms, "How do you know them?"

"They're just a couple of stupid kids that I used to be friends with, that's all."

Anakin nodded, "You were—wait a minute. Did you just say kids?"

The boy stood there with his mouth gaping wide open, "Uh…"

Anakin rested his hands on his hips, "When you say 'kids,' how old are we talking here?"

The boy bit his lip, "One of them is fourteen, his name is Han Solo. He's kind of tall, dark brown hair, brown eyes. Likes to tell a lot of jokes."

Anakin raised an eyebrow skeptically, "This mastermind criminal is _fourteen?_ What are your sources?"

Jared shook his head, "No, he's not the mastermind. The _genius_ behind all of this is the other one. He's thirteen, kind of short, blonde hair, blue eyes."

Anakin frowned, taking in all of this information. The boy slowly backed away and then dashed out of the police department.

Anakin watched the boy run out and climb into a speeder with a girl about the same age as him occupying the passenger's seat. They flew off and Anakin turned his attention back to what was going on in front of him.

A retired clone trooper from the Grand Army of the Republic, Commander Cody, approached the Jedi Master. "You think he was telling the truth?"

Anakin sighed, "It's hard to tell. I suppose there could have been a possibility that he was lying. I sensed he was strong in the Force."

Cody raised his brows.

Anakin nodded.

Cody shook his head, "He looked like some stupid teenager to me. Those kids are always trying to find a way to cause trouble. I mean, come on. He said that those criminals were children. Children! No child could break into the Senate like they did. These two _must_ be mastermind criminals."

"Should we have extra clones stationed at the spaceports, just in case?" Anakin asked.

Cody shrugged, "That's not my decision. _You're_ the boss."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Anakin Skywalker paced around in his living room.

Padmé, who was calmly sitting on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand, chuckled softly. "What are you so worked up about?"

Anakin dropped to the couch directly in front of his wife. "Oh, nothing."

Padmé raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Nothing?"

Anakin tilted his head, "Well, something."

"Are you thinking about catching those criminals?"

Anakin nodded.

Padmé sighed, "Why don't you just go out looking for them yourself? I know you, and you will never be able to rest until you've personally handled these guys."

Anakin chuckled, "Yeah, but unfortunately I have no idea where to look."

Padmé raised an eyebrow.

Anakin nodded, "I wasn't kidding when I said that we have no leads on these two criminals."

Padmé pursed her lips, "Well, didn't you say that you met a young man who claimed he knew the two?"

Anakin scoffed, "Yeah, and he also said that they were two kids. No way is that possible."

Padmé smiled and just took another sip of her drink.

* * *

><p>Just as Master Skywalker commanded, there were extra guards stationed all throughout each little spaceport on Coruscant. No sentient being could leave the planet without passing through tight security and a panel of very hard questioning.<p>

Once finished with their interrogations, the travels got on board to their flights, muttering about how all of this was a "waste of time" and an "infringement of civil rights."

The clones would apologize in return, explaining that all of this was done to "catch the fugitives" and to "protect the citizens."

* * *

><p>Luke and Han were unaware of all of this extra security. They had bought two tickets on a public transport that would take them to Nar Shadaa. There they would blend in with the populous Hutt planet and leave their whole past behind. It was the perfect plan.<p>

If only they had spent more time thinking their plan over.

They were standing in line, just like all the other passengers booked for the same flight, wondering why it was taking so long to get on board.

Han tapped on Luke's shoulder, "Look, they're screening all the passengers for weapons."

Luke's eyes widened, "We better get out of here then."

They quietly left the line and began to walk back from where they came. However, the two quickly began to realize that there were clones stationed _everywhere_. It was impossible to leave the spaceport without running into one of them.

"Luke, this is impossible. We have to find another way out."

Luke nodded and started looking around. He pointed to a door that seemed to be unguarded.

"I wonder where that leads to." Han thought aloud.

They discreetly opened the door and went in. This door actually connected to a hallway.

"What is this place?" Han said, and his voice echoed through the long, dark passage way.

"Maybe it's some sort of emergency exit, just in case of some sort of attack or something."

Han shrugged, "That's good enough for me. Let's go."

The two began to quickly walk down the hallway, eager to find an exit out before they were caught.

After five minutes, they finally found a set of large double metal doors. They slipped through and found themselves outside again in the middle of a busy Coruscant street. It would be hard to blend in with the nightlife of Coruscant because they were just kids, so they had to go hide out in a less crowded venue.

Everything seemed normal for a while, but soon Luke began to feel a strange disturbance in the Force.

There was a quiet beeping noise.

Luke frowned, "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Luke didn't answer. He walked towards the source of the noise. The beeping became faster and faster until—

"Duck!" Luke yelled, grabbing Han and aiming for the ground.

The wall of the building next to them exploded, sending flying debris all over the place.

Luckily, the two boys were unharmed. Luke grabbed his friend and made a run for it.

"What the hell was that?!" Han screamed.

"I don't know!" Luke yelled back. It was hard to hear what each of them were saying. There were people screaming all over the place. Soon, a small squadron of clones ran in.

Though there were people running around and screaming everywhere, for some reason the clones decided to single Luke and Han out.

One of them grabbed Han.

"Hey!" Han yelled, "What are you doing!"

"You two are under arrest," said another clone as he grabbed Luke.

Luke was speechless. He didn't even resist the cops because he was so shocked.

How did this even happen? Luke and Han had done nothing…

They were set up.

* * *

><p>Anakin and Padmé were still in their living room, as they had been all night.<p>

"Also," Anakin continued, "he likes to make sure I get the lousiest jobs. I'm telling you, Mace Windu has been on my tail ever since I was knighted—"

"Anakin," Padmé interrupted, "your comlink is beeping."

Anakin frowned and reached for his device. He answered the call, "Yes?"

"Master Skywalker," a small blue hologram of Cody sprang up, "I was told to let you know that we have caught the delinquents."

Anakin sprang from his seat, "Good work. Get some DNA tests done to see who they really are. I'll be there shortly."

The officer nodded and ended the call.

"Will you be gone long?" Padmé asked, walking Anakin to his speeder outside on the landing pad.

Anakin smiled, "No, I'll be back in an hour or two."

Padmé smiled and reached up on her tip-toes to peck her husband's cheek.

Anakin grinned, "Maybe I'll just stay, they don't need me down there…"

Padmé chuckled, "Go!" She gave her husband a light push towards his speeder, "Don't give Mace Windu another reason to pester you."

* * *

><p>Once he arrived to the Coruscant Police Department, Anakin made his way to the interrogation room. There was a room connected to the interrogation room that contained several controls, computers, and lie detectors that are used during a questioning. He entered the hidden chamber and was immediately greeted by all the high-ranked officers who were a part of this mission. They were preparing to analyze the interrogation of the prisoners. There was a large window that showed the interrogation room below. The window was invisible from the other side; to the criminals, it would only look like part of the stone wall.<p>

"Master Skywalker," Cody began, "it seems that boy we spoke to earlier was correct. These criminals are, in fact, _children_."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, "Are you serious?"

Cody nodded, "However, we lack proper evidence that connects these two boys to the other crimes that they were blamed for."

Anakin frowned, "Then why are they here?"

Cody bit his lip, "There was an incident in lower Coruscant earlier tonight. There was an explosion near a spaceport and a jewelry store. A few of the bystanders claimed that they had seen these two boys lingering around in that area, probably causing the explosion."

Anakin frowned, folding his arms across his chest.

"Also," Cody continued, "we found them heavily armed with suspicious weapons."

"Suspicious weapons?" Anakin repeated.

Cody nodded and led Anakin to a table that several weapons were lying on.

"What is all of this?" Anakin asked, bewildered.

"These are all of the weapons that one of the boys had on him. We took DNA samples and discovered that his name was indeed Han Solo, a fourteen year-old boy from Corellia."

Anakin gestured to all of the weapons, "One boy was holding _all of these_ on his person? How much was the other boy holding?"

Cody bit his lip, "Well, actually, he only had one weapon on him."

Anakin frowned. Cody pulled out a familiar weapon and gave it to Anakin. Oh yes, Anakin had seen many of these in his lifetime.

It was a lightsaber.

"Are you telling me," Anakin said, staring at the lightsaber, "that this was a _Jedi_ who set off the explosion?"

Cody shook his head, "This was no Jedi, sir."

Anakin pursed his lips and ignited the lightsaber. His eyes widened. Of course it was not a Jedi! The blade of this lightsaber was..._red_.

"Did you conduct a DNA analysis for this one?" Anakin asked quietly. Perhaps he could use this boy's DNA to decipher his midichlorian count. Then he could see if he was truly a Sith or not.

"Yes, but…" Cody trailed off.

"But what?"

"Well, we think there was some sort of mistake…" Cody bit his lip.

"How come?" Anakin asked.

"Well, because," Cody took a deep breath, "the results show that he might have been your son."

Anakin was speechless.

The other clones and police officers in the room quieted down, each of them looking for Master Skywalker's reaction to this news.

He finally spoke, "Bring them into the interrogation room."

* * *

><p>Cody walked down to the cell in which Han occupied. Just as he was about to unlock the cell door, a lower-ranked clone ran up to him.<p>

"Sir, we have a problem!"

Cody whipped his head towards the nameless clone, "What now?!"

The clone panted, "Prisoner 528491, he's escaped!"

Cody's eyebrows jolted up.

Han, who was still in his cell, came up to the door. Always the curious gossiper, he asked the clones, "Who's that?"

Cody put his hands up to his face, "This can't be good…"

* * *

><p>Anakin was walking down the hall of the police department. Suddenly, he was approached by an entire team of armed police officers and clones.<p>

"What is this?" Anakin asked.

"We've had a security breach!"

Anakin's jaw dropped, "Who was it?!"

"Code number 528491." The officer said. He gestured towards the clones behind him and set out for their manhunt.

Anakin heard another person running down the hallway. He turned around and saw Cody sprinting towards him.

"Cody!" Anakin exclaimed, surprised. "Have you heard—"

"Yes," Cody said, panting. "And…"

Anakin's eyes widened, expecting the worse.

"It was Luke."

Hearing his name after so many years gave Anakin a jolt. He felt the clocks reverse, bringing him back to a dark time in his life. He sensed the I-need-to-find-my-son obsession that had controlled his life merely ten years ago creeping back up on him. The game was back on.

He turned back to Cody, "Put the entire Prison on lockdown. Find him!" He said aggressively and authoritatively.

Anakin briskly walked down the corridor as several clones and officers rushed past either side of him. He entered the security room.

"Are you following him?" Anakin asked, referring to all the security footage playing on the screens.

An officer stood up, "Sir, our scope's negative. He left the perimeter."

Anakin banged his fist on the table angrily, "Put the whole planet on lockdown! No one is allowed to leave or enter the planet until he is found!"

The men and women inside of the room looked up and stared at Anakin. The Jedi left the room and headed towards the cell where the prisoner was formerly held.

The clones who were stationed there immediately saluted to the Jedi Master.

"What happened here?" Anakin asked irately, "How could you let him escape?"

The clones looked at one another before one of them spoke up, "We were tricked, Sir. He's very smart."

"That's no excuse! You couldn't hold a thirteen year-old for twenty minutes?!" Anakin left before either of the clones said another word. He was going to make sure he didn't let history repeat itself.

He was going to find Luke this time. He was not going to let him get away again.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Luke ran. Fast.

It was late at night. Luke ran through the sidewalks of Coruscant, dodging several pedestrians. He was hiding in alleyways, climbing on buildings, doing anything to escape the sirens. At one point, he stole a speeder and raced it through Coruscant's heavy traffic.

Getting out of his cell was hard. Luckily, he was only guarded by clones. It wasn't hard to fool them. However, while he was in his cell, they kept him in binders. As Luke ran through the prison, he searched for empty rooms where he could attempt to break the binders off. He had entered a storage room of sorts and found a sharp edge that he repeatedly banged his wrists on until the binders were broken off. He would need a lot of bandages later.

After that, he snuck through the corridors, hiding whenever someone came by. He found a lounge and entered it. There was a single clone in there. Luke snuck up on him and then attacked him. He wrapped his arm around the clone's neck and attempted to choke him into unconsciousness. When the clone collapsed, Luke took his blaster from him. Just before he was about to jump out from an open window, he looked back at the clone.

"I really hope you're not dead." Luke said, the closest he would ever come to an apology, and then jumped out of the window.

He landed crouched on his feet. He stood up and ran across the paved yard all the way to the tall, barb-wired fence on the other side.

That was when he was discovered.

The lights that were flashing around were pointed at him, and when Luke grabbed onto the fence, his hands were slightly electrocuted. He took a few steps back and then made a leap over the fence. After he landed, he got up and stared at the fence. He could hear the sirens racing towards him. _Wow,_ Luke thought to himself as he looked back up at the tall fence that he had just Force-jumped over. He then started running.

Luke thought he was beginning to lose them. He climbed his way on top of a tall skyscraper. He stood on the top a moment, looking down. It was crowded below.

Sirens were heard again. Luke groaned and turned around. He saw the flashing lights from the police speeders. He looked around. There was no place left to go except…

Luke thought rashly, and jumped.

He fell.

He would test his landing skills once more and attempted to catch on to a pipe that extended from a nearby building.

Luckily, he didn't land _too_ hard. He grasped on to the pipe and crawled nearer to the building. There was a window. Luke pulled out the blaster he stole earlier and used it to break open the window. He climbed through the window and found himself in the building.

He was in a corridor of some sort. It looked pretty fancy. The floor was carpeted and there were nice designs on the walls. Luke heard someone coming and quickly hid inside a small storage closet.

Through the crack of the door, he saw a woman walk towards him. The woman stopped at the site of the broken window. She frowned and looked around for the person responsible. She eyed her wristwatch and muttered to herself, "I don't have time for this now."

Once the woman left, Luke emerged from the closet. He took a deep breath, "That was close."

From the other side of the hallway, he heard another person approaching.

"Great." Luke muttered, and went back to hiding into the closet.

He attempted to peak through the crack again, but the person was too far down the hallway for Luke to see properly.

It was actually a droid. A protocol droid, by the looks of it.

The droid stood outside of the same door that the previous woman came from. He rang the doorbell, and an unseen person answered.

Luke couldn't see the person, but he could tell it must have been a young girl by the sound of her voice.

"Hello, is Miss Lenore Fennel present?" The droid asked.

"No, you just missed her." The girl replied.

"Oh," Said the droid, "Do you have any idea when she will return?"

"She's gone for a couple days." The girl replied.

"Thank you." The droid said and then left down the hallway.

Luke contemplated in his mind for a moment. There was a young girl in an empty apartment for two or three days. He could easily knock her out and then use her house as a place to recover and hide from the Coruscant security officials. Luke pulled out his blaster and made his way towards the young girl's door.

Using the Force, Luke opened the door. He entered the living room. On the other side, there was a balcony that had a pretty fascinating view of the sunrise.

There was a kitchen and dining room attached to the living room. The house seemed pretty well-decorated and furnished. Luke found a hallway that led to different bedrooms. At the very end of the hallway, there was a door half opened. Luke could tell that must be where the young girl was, due to the fact that there were lights coming from that room. Just as Luke was about to take a step into the hallway, he heard the clicking noise from a blaster.

Luke turned around slowly.

Behind him, there was a red-headed girl just about his age. She was holding a blaster fiercely in her hands, aiming it at Luke's face.

Luke slowly put his blaster down and gaped at the girl,

"Mara?"

The girl lowered her blaster, "Luke?!"

* * *

><p>Anakin rubbed his eyes with one hand, and took a sip of his caf in another. He was standing by the interrogation room where he was half-listening to the officer next to him give a report on the search.<p>

Anakin nodded sleepily, "Thank you."

The officer nodded and left the Jedi Master.

Unexpectedly, Anakin was visited by a friend. Obi-Wan Kenobi went up to Anakin and smiled at him, "They said I would find you here."

Anakin shrugged and began to walk down the hallway, Obi-Wan by his side.

"How is the case going?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Anakin muttered.

"What's the matter?" Obi-Wan asked sympathetically.

"Well," Anakin sighed, "we caught them."

"That's good!" Obi-Wan said appraisingly.

"But…" Anakin dumped his caf in a trash dispenser nearby, "Damn it."

Obi-Wan frowned, "What?"

"He escaped. One of them escaped."

Obi-Wan's eyes bulged out of his head, "How does a man escape the CPPD?"

"He wasn't a man, he was a boy. And he wasn't just a criminal…"

Anakin stopped at a window that showed the orange sky of a Coruscant morning. He stared out until Obi-Wan became impatient.

"What was he then?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin sighed and looked at his old master, "He was…my son."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Obi-Wan stared blankly at Anakin for a long time.

"He's your _son?_" Obi-Wan repeated, bewilderment clearly in his voice.

Anakin sighed, "I was shocked too. I didn't sleep at all last night."

"I can tell!" Obi-Wan said. His eyes were wide with thought. He rubbed his beard his hand, "Wow…"

Anakin nodded, unable to find the words to say.

"Does Padmé know?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin shook his head, "What do you want me to tell her? 'Oh Padmé, guess what! I found our son! Oh, but he _ran away_.'"

Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes, I agree. Bad idea."

Anakin began to walk down the corridor again with Obi-Wan following along.

"So what are you doing now?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Well, while the idiots that work here attempt to find Luke, I might as well continue interrogating the other one."

Obi-Wan smiled softly, "This is so strange. I haven't heard you mention his name in years."

Anakin didn't respond.

"I wonder what Padmé's reaction to all of this would be like." Obi-Wan wondered aloud.

"Can we please not talk about it?" Anakin said tiredly.

Obi-Wan sighed, "Fine. But you have to tell the Council, Anakin."

Anakin nodded, "I suppose. Well, what are you up to?"

"I came to check on you, actually." Obi-Wan replied, "I'm very surprised with the Council."

"Why?" Anakin asked, only half listening.

Obi-Wan could tell Anakin was beyond sleepy, "Well, the Jedi don't usually get involved with local affairs."

Anakin rolled his eyes, "These two have been on criminal rampages all around the Core Worlds. It's not a _local affair_. Besides, the Council is giving all of the _real_ jobs to the Jedi Knights and their padawans."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Well that is good for the Knights and their apprentices, but we get stuck with the boring work."

Anakin attempted a smile, "I've come to like boring."

They entered that hidden room that viewed the interrogation room where Han Solo would be brought in once more.

"Anakin, would you like me to perhaps deal with this?" Obi-Wan asked, "You seem very tired, I don't want you to do something you'll regret. Remember, he's only a child."

Anakin rolled his eyes, "Frankly, I don't care. I need answers."

"Remember why you are here, Anakin." Obi-Wan warned, "Don't make this all about finding Luke."

"Too late." Anakin said, and then entered the interrogation room.

The room was very dark, except for the single lamp that was right above of the small metal table in which Han was seated at. Anakin walked into the light and sat down right in front of him.

Han looked away.

Anakin took a deep breath, "So… Han Solo, is it?"

Han shrugged.

"You're from Corellia?"

Han looked back at Anakin and shrugged once again.

Anakin sighed, "What school did you go to?"

Han frowned, "Aren't you supposed to be asking me about my crimes?"

Anakin shrugged, "I'm asking you about _you_."

Han rolled his eyes, but Anakin pressed him harder. "Aren't you only fourteen?"

"So?" Han shot back.

"So shouldn't you be in _school?_ Instead of in _jail_…"

Han sighed impatiently, "It's not my fault I was arrested. I didn't do anything wrong. _You're_ the one who arrested _me_."

"Yes, we _did_ arrest you Han. But that is because you have been linked to a number of crimes and robberies across the Core. You—"

"You have no proof." Han interrupted. "You arrested me after someone set off a bomb. _I_ didn't even set off that bomb! We were framed, and you know it. You can't keep us here, you have no evidence that—"

Anakin shook his head, "We don't need evidence, we _know_ it was you."

"No you don't, and I refuse to answer any more questions without a lawyer." He crossed his arms stubbornly across this chest.

Anakin smiled, "It doesn't really work like that."

Han stopped, his brows furrowed and his mouth hanging in the shape of an "O."

"We don't get a lawyer?!"

Anakin shook his head, "And it's not really 'we' anymore, is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't heard the news?" Anakin asked, closely watching Han to see his reaction.

Han shrugged.

Anakin sighed, "Your friend escaped."

Han's eyebrows immediately shot up, but then he quickly resumed an expressionless appearance.

Anakin frowned, "You seem surprised."

Han shrugged, "Not really. He's pretty good."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "But you are hurt, aren't you?"

Han frowned at Anakin, "What do you mean?"

Anakin folded his arms together, "Isn't he your friend?"

Han nodded.

"Well then, shouldn't he have taken you with him when he ran away?" Anakin asked.

Han's frown deepened, "He probably didn't have time. He'll be back for me, though."

"Are you sure about that?" Anakin asked skeptically, "It wouldn't seem logical for him to come back."

Han was silent.

"He betrayed you, Han." Anakin said softly, "I've seen it plenty of times. Partners in crime always split up after they are arrested. They blame each other and do whatever they can to make it look like the other is guilty. You've seen the holos, haven't you?"

"But that's not what Luke did. He just ran away."

Anakin shook his head, "He ran away so that you would end up with all of the trouble."

Han shook his head, frustrated, "You don't know Luke! He's my best friend. He would never…"

Anakin shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "I'm just telling you how it works."

Han sat there, silent.

Anakin spoke up, "Well, you might as well tell me your story now."

Han looked up at the Jedi Master, "What story?"

Anakin shrugged, "Just your life story. How you met Luke. What you two do for a living. Robbing things?"

Han shook his head, "It's a lot more complicated than just _robbing things_."

"Well, I would like to know." Anakin said.

Han paused.

Anakin leaned back in, folding his arms on the table, "Look, this is how things work around here: You tell me things to make it look like you're not guilty, and then we let you go."

Han raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Are you serious?"

Anakin shrugged, "We already know that your friend was the mastermind behind everything. You can make yourself look like the victim. He already escaped. He's in a lot of trouble as it is. But _you…_ You don't need to be. Just tell me everything you know about him. Do you know where he might be right now?"

Han looked uneasy, "I don't know…"

"Where did you two stay while on Coruscant? How long have you been here, anyway?"

Han bit his lip, "Well, not too long. Maybe like a month or so…"

"So why did you come to Coruscant?"

Han smiled faintly at the memory, "We were running away from—" Han paused.

"From what? Who?" Anakin asked quickly.

Han frowned, "Why am I telling you?"

Anakin sighed impatiently, "Because it is important, please continue."

Han rolled his eyes, unaware that his mind was just slightly altered by the Force. "Fine. We were running away."

Anakin stared at Han strangely, "Okay… Well, who were you running away from?"

Han laughed, "Some psychos that want to kill us." Han continued laughing.

Anakin frowned, uncomfortable with Han's reaction, "You're laughing because psychos want to kill you?"

"It's really funny because we all used to be, like, friends." Han told him.

Anakin stared at Han, "I don't understand."

Han stopped laughing and took a deep breath, "Something changed though. Everything used to be fine, until it all changed…"

"What happened?" Anakin asked, thoroughly confused.

Han shrugged, "I don't know. Everything was fine until Luke told me he was dropping out of school in seventh grade. I was very surprised. You see, Luke is one of the smartest kids I know. I mean, his grades don't always _show_ it…but, you know what I mean? I was very surprised."

Anakin nodded slowly, pretending to understand. "Why did he drop out?"

Han shrugged, "I don't know. But then I stopped seeing him around. I'd go to his house, and he wasn't there. No one was there. I only saw them like once a week. It was weird."

"Who's _them_?" Anakin asked.

"Luke's family. Like, his brother and sister." Han answered. "It was weird because they were always kind of okay with each other. I mean, they acted like normal siblings would act like. They would fight sometimes, and that was normal. But then, things started changing. They would fight _all_ the time. Especially Luke and Jared."

"Jared?" Anakin repeated.

Han nodded, "His older brother. He's three years older than Luke, and one year older than Aria."

Anakin frowned, "Are they all related?"

Han shook his head, "No, Luke's like adopted or something. Or no wait, I think… Hold on… I think they're, like, half-siblings. Like, they share the same father or something."

Anakin raised an eyebrow skeptically at Han.

Han looked at Anakin and chuckled, "I don't know, I never bothered to ask. You see, they don't have the same last name. Like, Jared and Aria have their mom's last name for some creepy reason. And then Luke randomly has his dad's name. But it's kind of weird because it's not really his dad's last name. Wait, I don't know. Can I skip this question? Why don't you just ask Luke, he would know."

Anakin just stared at Han.

"What?" Han asked self-consciously.

Anakin shook his head, "Did you always steal things?"

Han laughed, "I do what I have to to get by."

Anakin narrowed his eyes at Han, "You don't happen to know anyone named Garris Shrike, do you?"

Han opened his mouth and then closed it again. "Um, no. No I do not."

Anakin smiled, "Liar. Did you work for him?"

Han could understand why Anakin would make such a guess. Here Han was, telling this Jedi Master that he was a Corellian kid who engaged in illegal activities to make money. Anyone who knew anything about organized crime in the Core Worlds would make the assumption that this kid worked for Garris Shrike.

Han frowned, "Dude, you can't tell anyone. Like, he'll skin me alive."

Anakin stared at Han seriously for a moment. "Did Luke work for him too?"

Han laughed, "_No_."

Anakin shrugged, "Why is that so funny?"

Han shook his head, smiling. "Luke would never do stupid stuff like that! Besides, his father would never let him."

"His…father." Anakin repeated.

Han nodded, "You see, Shrike was close with Luke's dad. But that's it, you see; Shrike used his resources to fund Vader's stuff."

Anakin frowned, "What stuff?"

Han shrugged, "I don't know, Shrike just gave Vader a lot of his money."

Anakin nodded, "What else? Can you tell me more about this Vader guy?"

Han shrugged, "Well, what's to tell?"

Anakin shrugged, "Anything."

Han opened his mouth, and then closed it. "I said too much already."

Anakin frowned. "No you haven't" He said, hoping to keep Han under his mind-control.

Han didn't budge though, "Yes, I have."

Anakin frowned at Han, "I think you need a break. We'll talk later."

Anakin left the interrogation room and found Obi-Wan waiting for him. "You're still here?" Anakin asked, surprised.

Obi-Wan shrugged, "I was watching your questioning. It was very amusing." He smiled.

Anakin rolled his eyes, "And confusing. I was so lost. Han was just talking about random things he knew. He didn't tell me the whole story. And if we never catch Luke, then we'll never know the whole story."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "You will find Luke, believe me. It isn't a coincidence that he was brought to you in the first place. It is the will of the Force. You will see him again."

Anakin sighed, "If I'm lucky."

"In my experience—" Obi-Wan began, before he was interrupted by Anakin.

"Yes I know, _there is no such thing as luck_." Anakin rolled his eyes, "It's just an expression."

Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin, "Why don't you go home and get a few hours of sleep. Then, come by to the Council. We need to inform them."

Anakin nodded, "Alright."

"May the Force be with you, Anakin."

Anakin turned to look at his mentor and gave him a bow.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

It was an unexpected reunion. Never in his wildest dreams did Luke ever expect to find an old friend from Corellia on Coruscant. Mara Jade had been just like Han and all the other kids found on the streets who devoted their lives to Garris Shrike. But Mara had made an unexpected disappearance long ago. Frankly, Luke never thought to see her again.

Luke knew a lot about Mara's predicament in the past, but he never offered any of his friends the same information about his own life. So instead of telling her about how he ran away from his Sith master and how they were now being hunted by his two other apprentices, Luke asked Mara about _her_ life.

Mara only laughed, "I opted for the boring life. You know, going to school and stuff."

Luke faked a disgusted look and his friend just punched him in the arm, laughing.

Luke chuckled too, "How did you even get away? Han and I are pretty much on Jared and Aria's hit list for escaping."

Mara bit her lip, not wanting to answer that question. She simply shrugged.

Luke sighed, looking out the window. "A lot changed after you left."

"I left because a lot changed." Mara said quietly.

Luke nodded, staring at the sunset.

Mara followed his gaze, "It's quite amazing."

Luke shrugged, "The sunset on Corellia was fine as well."

Mara simple looked at Luke, "You don't miss Corellia, do you?"

Luke shrugged again, "I don't know."

"Why did you leave?"

Luke shook his head.

"Does it have anything to do with Jared?" Mara asked.

Luke stood up angrily, "Of course! I _hate_ him, he ruined my life!"

"Whoa, slow down! What do you mean?" Mara asked.

Luke began to pace the balcony they were on as he remembered the events that led Luke to running away. "It's so complicated…"

Mara raised an eyebrow.

Luke sighed and sat down, "He's _jealous_ of me, Mara."

"Why?" Mara asked.

Luke rolled his eyes, "Isn't it obvious? I'm better than him. I'm stronger than him. I'm smarter than him. I'm faster than him. I'm more powerful than him. And his dad likes me more than him."

Mara frowned, "What does that mean? Your dad doesn't like _anyone_."

"I mean, his dad knew that I'm better than Jared. That's what pisses Jared off." Luke explained.

"Keep going." Mara urged.

"I can't help that Vader likes me more than his own flesh and blood. I mean, can you blame him? Jared is the epitome if stupid and useless!"

Mara shook her head, "But I don't see what the deal is. Did Jared suddenly get sick of it? Because it was always kind of like that…"

Luke shook his head, "No. Don't you see? We can't _all_ be our father's apprentice. There can only be one."

Mara finally realized what Luke was trying to say. "So…he wants to kill you…"

Luke nodded. "Actually, it's all that witch Aria's fault."

"How?" Mara asked, frowing.

"She thinks she's smart. You see, she is super jealous of me, too. Her dad trusts me with more things than her. She wants to get rid of me, so she tells Jared that I'm plotting against him. She wants Jared to do her dirty work and kill me."

Mara frowned, "Wow."

"It's stupid because our dad completely ignores her anyway. She'll never become anything."

Mara rolled her eyes, "I think she's quite scary."

Luke sighed, "She is, but she's not really Sith material."

There was silence as the two watched the sun leave view.

Luke stood up.

"Where are you going?" Mara asked.

"I need to do something about Han." Luke told her.

Mara frowned, "There's nothing you can do, Luke."

Luke shook his head, "There has to be something. Anything. He's our friend, we can't leave him in there."

Mara stood up and put an arm around her friend.

Luke sighed, "I wonder if… Well, your cousin is a lawyer… Maybe she can do something?"

Mara sighed, "First of all, she's my second cousin. Second of all, she has been following your case on the Holo News…like when the police were still searching for you. If she finds out that _you're_ the convict, and that I'm _helping_ the convict, then I'll be in _deep_ poodoo."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Why? She's your cousin, not your mom."

"Second cousin. And I'm living in her house. I kind of have to follow her rules."

Luke sighed.

The two sat there, watching the stars.

"Could I trade places with him?" Luke wondered.

Mara frowned.

"They think _I'm_ the real criminal, don't they? I could just…"

Mara shook her head.

"You're the only one that could ask and find out, Mara." Luke insisted.

Mara shook her head again.

"Please?"

Mara sighed.

* * *

><p>The Jedi High Council was nearing the end of its session. Each of the Jedi Masters were seated around in the circle. Some were present in the Council Chamber itself; others were just holographic images who were taking part of the meeting from another part of the galaxy.<p>

Anakin cleared his throat, "We caught the two criminals."

Mace Windu raised his eyebrows and looked over at Anakin, "Good. Then we will have a lead on who is trying to mess with the senator."

"Well actually, we don't have any proof that it was them who stole the documents from the senator. I haven't thoroughly investigated the situation with that yet because of a…complication that arose." Anakin replied.

Mace Windu frowned, "What complication?"

"Well, one of the criminals—presumably the "mastermind" behind all of the crimes—has escaped."

Obi-Wan looked around at the other Jedi Masters. He could feel their emotions. They were all shocked.

"How does a person escape the CPPD?" Windu asked angrily.

"He was a Force-sensitive." Anakin claimed, "He used the Force to manipulate the guards around him and simply…escaped."

Windu's eyes widened in shock. A Force-sensitive? One the Jedi didn't know about?

"So you have no idea where he is now? Haven't you conducted a search?" Ki-Adi Mundi, another Jedi in the room, asked.

Anakin nodded, "Of course. If you haven't heard, I put the whole planet on lockdown."

Windu shook his head slowly, contemplating these events. "We heard, but we were waiting for an explanation from you. I understand that finding this criminal is very important right now, but was it necessary to refuse anyone the right to leave or enter the planet?"

Anakin nodded solemnly, "Yes. There is something else… You see, this isn't just any criminal. He's actually…a child."

A few gasps re heard in the room.

"A child?" Plo Koon repeated.

Anakin nodded, "Actually, to be a little more specific… he's actually… well… How do I put this correctly…"

"He's Anakin's son." Obi-Wan said, growing impatient of Anakin talking in circles.

Anakin shot him an annoyed look.

Obi-Wan ignored him.

Windu's eyes widened more than they ever have before. He was speechless. All of them were.

"How is that possible?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

The Jedi were all familiar with the story of Luke Skywalker. When he was kidnapped, the Jedi thought that his mother's high status as Senator would prompt a sort of ransom for the return of the young child. But as time went on and the Jedi's searches became unsuccessful, they all feared the worst—that he was kidnapped by a Sith Lord.

Just before Anakin could say anything, however, Master Yoda stood up.

He had been silent for the majority of the meeting until now.

"Find him, you _must_. Bring him to me, you will." Yoda said, and then exited the chamber, thus concluding the meeting.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Leia Skywalker was a very determined thirteen year-old girl. If she wanted something, she expected to get her way. It may be argued that it was because Leia was so good at persuading people. (She learned a lot from her mother, being a politician and all.) It may also be argued that Leia was simply just a spoiled girl.

But then again, why wouldn't she be spoiled? She was the perfect child. She had perfect grades, perfect manners, and even perfect looks. But Leia knew that wasn't the case. Leia knew for many years now that the reason she was so spoiled was because her parents were making up for the fact that she would only ever be their only child.

So, being the spoiled child that she was, she usually got her way. _Usually_.

"Mom, please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Leia, _no._"

"Mother…" Leia whined.

Padmé sighed and looked up from her work, "Leia, I'm busy. Ask me another time."

Leia groaned and got up from the seat in front of her mother's desk in her office at the Republic Executive Building.

Padmé put down the data pad she was reading from and looked pointedly at her daughter. "I don't see why you want to go. You have never shown an interest in your father's work before…"

Leia rolled her eyes, "Of course I have!"

Padmé raised an eyebrow skeptically at her daughter, "Why do you _really_ want to go?"

Leia sighed and slumped back in her chair again, "Mother, I reckon it is imperative for me to gain an insight on—"

"Cut the fancy words, Leia. I know there is a reason you want to visit your father at work." Padmé interrupted.

Leia nodded, "I miss my daddy." She pouted.

Padmé chuckled, looking back down at her work again. "You saw him this morning."

Leia sighed, "Mom, I have already decided. I am going to the police department."

Padmé nodded slowly, "And what do you intend to do there?"

Leia rolled her eyes, "Mom, you're not even listening to me. You're just working. What difference would it make if I just left?"

Padmé looked up from her work once more, "Leia, I don't want you to be in a building filled with vile scum."

Leia raised an eyebrow, "But Dad will be there, along with hundreds of police officers and clones. Plus, Winter will be there."

"Winter?" Padmé repeated.

Leia nodded, "She'll come too."

Padmé shook her head, knowing that Winter's guardian could never allow this. "If something bad were to happen, Senator Organa will be very angry."

"But Winter already asked him and he said yes." Leia informed her mother.

Padmé shook her head, "I know Bail, he would never agree to this."

Leia stood up, "Okay, well Captain Panaka and Winter are waiting for me outside. Goodbye, Mother."

Padmé shook her head. Leia was definitely a determined child. She took out her comlink and connected to Anakin.

"Padmé?" Anakin answered.

Padmé smiled, "Ani, our daughter is coming to see you."

Anakin frowned.

"Ani?" Padmé frowned.

"Absolutely not, Padmé. She can't come." Anakin said, with panic in his voice.

Padmé frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Don't let her come." Anakin repeated.

"She already left. I told her not to, but…"

Anakin sighed, "I'll handle it, then."

Padmé nodded, "Anakin, what's going on over there?"

"N-Nothing." Anakin stuttered, "Why do you think something is going on?"

"Why don't you want Leia there?"

"It's not safe right now." Anakin explained.

"It's never safe." Padmé countered.

"Padmé, I have to go. I'll talk to you later. I'll be home later tonight. Bye, I love you." Anakin said quickly, and then ended the call.

Padmé frowned at the strange conversation. _Oh well_, she thought, _I'll ask him about it later tonight._

* * *

><p>Anakin did all he could to keep Leia from knowing about the present situation. However, Leia was a very nosey person.<p>

Anakin was thankful that Leia had brought her friend along with her to keep her occupied.

Leia and Winter sat in the lobby of the CPPD, just behind the information desk. There were droids, officers, clones, and even a few convicts moving all about the room.

"How long does it take you to do your hair like that every day?" Winter asked her friend.

Leia patted the two brunette buns on each side of her head, "Not _too_ long. I've gotten used to it now. It probably only takes me ten minutes."

Winter shook her head, "I wish I had such skill."

"Well, my mother is known for having lavish hairstyles. It would be a disgrace for me not to follow in her footsteps."

Winter laughed out loud.

Leia laughed, but then stopped as she saw a familiar face enter the glass doors of the lobby. She watched as the girl walked up to a desk on the other side of the room.

"Is that Mara Jade?" Winter whispered to her friend.

Leia nodded, frowning. She watched as one of the officers led Mara out of the lobby and into the corridor that led to the prison.

Leia got up from her seat and ran towards the office that her father was in, Winter following behind her.

"Daddy!" Leia called out. She ran into a room where Anakin was talking to one of the officers.

"Alright, thank you." Anakin told the officer, and then the officer left. Anakin turned to face Leia and her friend, "What's going on?"

"Dad, you'll never believe who we just saw!"

Anakin's eyes widened, "Who?!"

"Mara Jade!" Leia laughed.

Anakin exhaled, disappointed that it wasn't who he thought it might be.

"What is she doing here?" Anakin asked as he resumed going back to reading several datapads of information.

Leia frowned, "Firstly, it's _so _weird to see you at a desk. I mean, shouldn't you be out slaying monsters?"

Anakin chuckled, "Jedi don't slay monsters… well… unless it's necessary. Besides, I'm just searching up some information right now.

Leia attempted to look down at Anakin's data pad, but he deactivated it before she could steal a glimpse.

Leia sighed, "Well, anyway, can you find out why Mara is here?"

Anakin frowned, "Why can't you just go up to her and ask?"

"They took her to the prison."

Anakin shrugged, "Well, I have a job to do. Right now, my job has nothing to do with Mara Jade. Find out on your own."

"But I don't want to seem nosey." Leia pouted.

Winter laughed, "But you _are_."

Leia rolled her eyes, "I just want to see if—"

Leia was interrupted by a noise coming from Anakin's comlink.

"Hold on, Leia." Anakin said as he answered the comlink, "Skywalker here."

"_Master Skywalker, we have a young girl here by the name of Mara Jade requesting to visit Prisoner 528490. Is he allowed to have visitors?_"

Anakin frowned. He took a look at Leia, who looked shocked along with Winter. He turned his attention back to the comlink. "What relation does she have to Solo?"

_"She claims she was his foster sister back when they lived on Corellia."_

Anakin's frown deepened, "Bring her into one of the interrogation rooms, I want to watch it. Be sure there are several clones in the room. She only gets half an hour."

_"Yes, sir." _The officer replied, and then ended the transmission.

Anakin turned to leave the office. He looked behind him and noticed Leia and Winter following.

He stopped and turned around, "Girls, you can't come with me."

Leia pouted, "But Mom always lets me attend her meetings and other work stuff. You never let me go on missions because they are _dangerous_. Why can't I come with you this one time?" Leia pouted.

Anakin sighed. If it was any other instance but this one, he would let his daughter come. He was usually weak when it came to his daughter. He never was able to resist her pouts…even if they were obviously fake.

Anakin shook his head, "I'm sorry, girls."

Leia was shocked. Her father never rejected her like that.

"Come on." Leia motioned to her friend. They would watch the conversation between their friend and a convict even if it meant disobeying a Jedi Master.

They snuck into a room that played all the footage that was being taken from security cameras all throughout the building.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" A clone asked the two trespassers.

"Master Skywalker authorized us to come here and watch an interrogation being done to prisoner 528490. Could you please bring that up for us?" Leia told the clone.

The clone nodded slowly, figuring that she knew what she was talking about. He led her to the footage.

Once Leia and Winter were situated, with the security footage playing right in front of them, they hit a bitter realization.

"You can't hear anything." Winter said grimly.

Leia sighed. There were a million questions running through her head. _What was Mara Jade doing here? How did she know a convict?_ "This is the best we got. We might as well just try to understand…"

* * *

><p>Han Solo was brought into the oppressive-looking room once more. Once the clones removed the binders off his wrists, he sat down on the chair.<p>

While absent-mindedly rubbing his wrists, he looked around at all of the clones positioned in the room. "Why are there so many of you here? I'm getting questioned by a Jedi Master after all, aren't I?"

Han turned around in his seat once he heard the large metal doors opening again.

He was at a loss for words when he saw his old friend walk into the room.

He stood up, "Mara?!"

Mara smiled at Han and ran to give him a hug, "Oh, Han! I've missed you so much!"

She let go and then slapped Han on the arm.

Han's eyes widened as he rubbed his arm, "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being stupid!" Mara chastised. She sighed and then sat down. Han went back to sitting in his seat.

"So," Han smiled, "How are you?"

Mara rolled her eyes, "I can't believe you landed your ass in jail."

"I'm fine too, thanks." Han replied sarcastically.

Mara smiled.

Han chuckled, "How did you find me here? When they brought me into the room, I just thought it would be another round of questioning."

"The HoloNews." Mara answered, "They only said your name, so I wanted to come see if it was the Han Solo I knew. I was right."

"Did they mention any other name?" Han asked hesitantly.

Mara nodded, "I wonder where he might be. Did he ever tell you he was planning on escaping?"

Han shook his head, "He left me here, didn't he?"

Mara nodded, "I guess. I hope he's alright."

"So what have you been up to for the past two years, Jade?" Han asked, smiling.

Mara smiled back, "Just chillin', you know."

Han laughed and Mara clasped her hands on the table, getting down to business. "Now that you're here in jail, have you learned your lesson about stealing?"

"No." Han answered.

"I can believe that." Mara replied, smiling. "How's prison?"

"Great." Han said, somewhat sarcastically. "The food's great too."

"Really?" Mara asked uncertainly.

Han just rolled his eyes, "_No_. It tastes like someone already ate it and then pooped it out."

"You're so gross!" Mara laughed.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Han asked.

Mara shrugged, "No. I'm living with my second cousin, and she's away at a conference on Chandrila."

Han nodded, "Think you can break me out?"

"Workin' on it." Mara smiled. The two laughed again.

"I wonder how Luke did it." Han mused.

Mara shrugged, "I am definitely not surprised."

"I mean, come on! He couldn't last twenty minutes?" Han laughed.

Mara shook her head, "Are you sad?"

Han stopped laughing and shrugged, "I don't know. He did what he had to do. But no matter what anyone says, I know he'll be back for me. There's no way he could have just left me here."

Mara nodded slowly, "We'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

One of the clones stepped forward, "Time's up."

Another clone came up and put binders around Han's wrists. Han nodded at Mara, "I'll see you soon."

Mara nodded, biting her lip. "I hope so."

Once Han left, Mara stood up. She waited for one of the clones to open the door again so she could leave. But that didn't happen.

Instead, Anakin Skywalker walked into the interrogation room.

"Hello, Mara."

Mara frowned at him, "Hey, aren't you Leia's dad or something?"

Anakin nodded, "Yes, I am. Could you please take a seat?"

Mara nodded slowly and sat down. "Am I in trouble?"

Anakin shook his head, "No. I just have a few questions to ask you."

Anakin sat in front of Mara.

"Tell me, Mara, how are you?" Anakin began, smiling at the young girl.

Mara shrugged, suspicious, "Fine. How are you?"

"Not very fine. You see, I need answers." Anakin replied.

Mara shrugged, "From me?"

Anakin nodded, "Do you know where your friend is?"

Mara nodded slowly, "He went back to his cell…"

Anakin shook his head, "Your other friend."

Mara didn't say anything. She stared at the Jedi Master with a blank expression on her face.

"I know you're hiding him."

"He's hiding on his own." Mara retorted, "I have nothing to do with him."

Anakin nodded, "That may be true. But you still know where he is. You have seen him recently."

Mara didn't answer.

"I don't think your second cousin will take the news lightly if she finds out you are harboring a convict."

Mara frowned, "If you think I'm _harboring a convict_ then wouldn't the police just show up at my house or something?"

Anakin sighed, "They already did…while you were here…"

Mara's eyes widened, "And you didn't find him?"

Anakin scoffed, "Of course not. He's really good at playing hide-and-seek."

Mara didn't answer.

"You didn't come here to just see Solo." Anakin said.

Mara shook her head slowly, "You're right. I came to ask you something."

Anakin nodded, waiting for her to proceed.

"Luke told me that he would be willing to come back… if you let Han go…" Mara said hesitantly.

Anakin stared at the red-headed girl, a smile slowly etching on his face.

"Trade places? He would come?" Anakin asked.

Mara nodded.

"Deal."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"Daddy, please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Daddy?"

"Leia, I said no."

Leia huffed and folded her arms.

The Skywalker family was sitting at their dining room table, eating a traditional Naboo meal.

Leia moved her fork around in her plate.

"Don't play with your food, Leia." Padmé said quietly.

"Mom, can you please tell Dad—" Leia began.

"Leia, I said _no!_" Anakin said, frustrated.

"But she's my friend! I think I deserve to know why she was visiting a prisoner the other day!" Leia insisted.

Anakin sighed, "Why don't you just ask _her_ then?"

"Why did you talk with her?" Leia asked.

Anakin frowned, "How do you know—"

"I saw it on a security holo." Leia said indifferently.

Anakin shook his head, "What is it with you and following the rules that don't work together well?"

Padmé smiled, "Okay Leia, are you all packed?"

Leia shrugged, annoyed that her parents were changing the subject.

"Aren't you excited? Not many people get the chance to go the University of Alderaan to study the history of our government." Padmé said enthusiastically.

Leia shrugged and then nodded, "I guess. And it should be fun because Winter will be there too. Her guardians are kind of hosting the whole conference…"

Anakin nodded, "Oh, that's right! You're going to be staying at the Aldera Royal Palace, right?"

Leia nodded, "Yeah. But it's only for a couple of days…"

Padmé shook her head, "I remember doing something like that when I was your age. It will be totally fun. You'll make so many new friends. Now finish up your dinner so we can finish up packing."

Leia sighed and went back to her dinner.

* * *

><p>"It's a miracle he said yes." Mara said.<p>

She and Luke were sitting down in Mara's kitchen, contemplating the events that occurred when Mara left to go visit Han.

Luke shook his head, "I _am_ very shocked."

"But I left out a part of the story…" Mara began.

Luke frowned.

"You see, I didn't just talk to any officer… I talked to a Jedi Master."

Luke's eyebrows shot up, "Who?"

"You see… it was very strange seeing him there… He's the father of one of my best friends. Anakin Skywalker." Mara said hesitantly.

Luke bit his lip, his mind racing. "Why did you talk to him and not an officer?"

Mara shrugged, "He was in charge of your case."

There was a pause. Mara watched as Luke stared off into space.

What was Luke going to do now? He couldn't possibly back out… But at the same time, he could _not_ walk into a Jedi's trap. Luke knew a lot about the Jedi; he knew what they were capable of.

But then again, Han was more susceptible to their tricks whereas Luke spent his whole life training his mind to withstand a Jedi's attack. Perhaps it would be better if he did trade places after all…

"What's wrong?" Mara asked.

Luke shook his head, "What? Nothing. Just… It would be harder to escape again if there's a Jedi on my tail."

Mara nodded, "But I think the Jedi was already on the case when you escaped the first time."

Luke shrugged, "He's your friend's dad?"

Mara nodded.

"I didn't know Jedi were _allowed_ to have children."

Luke knew that, although it was against their code, many of the Jedi were philanderers. Luke's father told him that not only did the Jedi steal babies that they deemed Jedi-material, but they also went around and abandoned babies that they accidently fathered. As Luke himself was an abandoned child, this made the Jedi look even more heartless in his eyes.

"I guess it's a new thing." Mara shrugged, answering his question. "She's our age, though… So I guess it's not _that_ new…"

Luke shook his head, "You'd think that if the Jedi were in charge of my case, they would work a little harder to find me. I mean, you practically told them I was hiding with you. Wouldn't they rather have both me _and_ Han?"

Mara smirked, "He told me that while I was with him, there were clones searching my house."

Luke rolled his eyes, "They did a pretty shitty job, I'd say."

Mara laughed.

* * *

><p>Lenore made her way up to her apartment on Coruscant. She had been at business meetings on Chandrila and had finally come home.<p>

She used a security frequency code to enter her home. Everything seemed to be just like she left it. Spotless.

Lenore smiled. She was so sure that her young second cousin, Mara, would host some crazy rave party while she was away.

Mara was sitting in her room, messaging a friend on her comlink. She looked up and smiled at Lenore, "When did you get back?"

Lenore shrugged and sat next to Mara, "Just now. What's up?"

Mara bit her lip, "I don't mean to spring this up on you, especially because you just got back… I need help with something."

"What?"

"You see…" Mara started, "Remember that story we were watching on the HoloNews right before you left… The one about the two criminals?"

Lenore nodded.

"Well, they were arrested."

Lenore nodded, "I heard, and one of them escaped."

Mara nodded, "Yes, but I know where he is."

Lenore frowned, "What do you mean?"

Mara took a deep breath, "He's kind of my friend from Corellia."

Lenore's eyebrows shot up so high, they were part of her hairline.

"But listen, they are good kids! I swear!"

Lenore shook her head, "Mara, we talked about this. The only way you can escape Garris Shrike is if you cut off any links to him. Talking to your old friends won't help. Besides, you can get in a lot of trouble for harboring a convict."

Mara groaned, "What is it with everyone telling me that?"

Lenore frowned, "What?"

"_Harboring a convict._" Mara said in a low voice.

Lenore looked pointedly at Mara, "Cut the attitude. And what are you talking about?"

Mara bit her lip, "Well… I kind of went to go visit Han…"

Lenore sighed, "Of course you did, what happened?"

"Well, I ran into Anakin Skywalker. He's the Jedi in charge of putting Luke and Han in jail or whatever."

Lenore gaped at Mara, "Are you _serious?_"

Mara shrugged, "Well, he's my friend's dad so it's no big deal."

Lenore shook her head, "What happened?"

"Well, this is what I needed help with… I told him that Luke would be willing to come to jail if they let Han go."

Lenore raised an eyebrow, "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."

Mara shrugged, "He agreed."

"Seriously?" Lenore said, shocked.

Mara nodded, "It's so informal, but I think it's because he's a Jedi or something that he's allowed to break the rules."

Lenore nodded slowly, "You've spoken to Luke?"

"He's the one with the idea. He figured that if he already broke out once, he can break out again." Mara said, rolling her eyes.

Lenore shook her head, "That will never happen."

"I know." Mara said.

"Well, why do you need my help?" Lenore asked.

"Well, you're a lawyer and all…" Mara began, "And I'm sure there are rules about releasing minors from prison. Can you pretend to be his guardian or something? He doesn't have one and if they find out then he might get shipped back to Corellia or something."

Lenore nodded, "I'll see what I can do."


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

_Han Solo was lying on his cot in his dark cell, trying to go to sleep._

_He heard the clanking noise of the large metal door that imprisoned Han from the outside world._

_He opened one eye and saw the blinding light coming from the open door. He got up and rubbed his eyes. He saw a figure in the doorway. _

_The figure came closer._

_"Luke?" Han said, bewildered._

_Luke smiled at him, "I'm here to break you out."_

_Han grinned, "I knew you didn't forget about me, I just knew it!"_

_Luke nodded and pulled Han up off of the cot. "We better get going."_

_The two exited several sets of metal doors._

_"Where are all of the guards?" Han wondered._

_Luke smiled and continued to move forward._

_They reached the cornerstone of the building, at its lobby. What used to be a large area filled with droids, guards, officers, and clones was now suddenly just an empty room._

_Han frowned at the unusual setting._

_Luke just grabbed Han's arm and led him out the door. This was the first time Han was outdoors in a long time. The sun was setting and it casted a beautiful orange hue across the sky. They were halfway down the several stone steps of the CPPD until Han looked back and noticed Luke wasn't behind him anymore._

_"What's going on?" Han wondered to himself._

_"Something wrong?" A voice from behind said._

_Han turned around slowly. He stood face-to-face with a sixteen year-old boy with dark brown hair and yellow eyes._

_"Jared?" Han said, awestruck. _

_Jared just gave Han a dirty look and unclipped the lightsaber off his belt. He ignited it. _

_Before Han could even think, the red blade was shoved into his stomach and then subsequently retracted._

_Han collapsed to his knees with one hand over his wound and another hand supporting his weight. He used his last bit of energy to look up at his murderer in the eye._

_But the boy that was standing in front of Han with the red lightsaber wasn't Jared. _

_It was Luke._

Han jolted up on his cot, breathing heavily. Sweat from his nightmare was running down his forehead. He wiped it away, thankful that it was all just a dream.

All of a sudden, the doors to the cell opened wide.

Han squinted his eyes at the blinding light that leaked into the pitch-black cell.

Three clones walked into the cell.

Han got up from his cot and waited to be handcuffed. By now, he had gotten used to this routine.

The clones led Han out of the prison chambers and into an unfamiliar hallway.

The walls were bright white and there were droids and people walking about everywhere.

All of a sudden, the Jedi Master that had been in charge of Han's case—Anakin Skywalker—walked up to the boy.

Anakin gave Han a small smile, "I guess I was wrong."

Han looked up at the Jedi, "You mean I'm innocent?"

Anakin laughed, "No, you're definitely not innocent. But I was wrong to tell you that your friend wouldn't come back for you."

Before Han could ask any more questions, Anakin walked away.

The clones resumed to lead Han through the hallway.

They walked up to a desk where Han saw a woman with ginger red hair signing several data pads.

The woman turned to face Han. She gave him a quick smile and then leaned down to whisper something in his ear. "My name is Lenore Fennel; I'm a lawyer, Mara's second-cousin. Don't say anything and I may be able to get you out of here without a problem."

Han nodded, excited at the aspect of being able to leave.

After a few minutes, a clone went up to Han and removed the binders from his wrists. Han felt like a free man.

"How come I'm allowed to leave?" Han asked the lawyer.

Lenore was occupied with talking to the droid and didn't hear Han.

"I heard them talking about it earlier." Han heard someone next to him say.

Han turned to look at the other woman who spoke. She looked old and was a species that Han couldn't recognize, probably a near-human hybrid. She was in binders and was about to be taken into the prison.

"What did you hear?" Han asked.

"Some kid is switching places with you." The woman said in her deep, crackling voice.

Han frowned, "Some kid?"

As if on cue, a set of double doors that were issued on the other side of the room had opened. A few clones came through followed by a handcuffed Luke.

Han's jaw dropped.

Luke stopped and looked over at Han for a second.

Han's eyes widened and he shook his head frantically, but he was unable to say a word.

The clones motioned for Luke to keep going forward, and then Luke was gone out of sight.

Han couldn't hear anything except for the blood pumping in his ears. He saw Lenore come up to him to tell him it was time to leave, but he couldn't hear what she was saying.

He got up and left with Lenore, not being able to think about what just happened.

He saw Mara waiting for him outside and she joined him. She held his arm and smiled at him.

Han couldn't smile back.

* * *

><p>Luke was sitting in the interrogation room. The room seemed to attempt an oppressive atmosphere, but that didn't bother Luke.<p>

No, sitting with his hands cuffed in binders did not bother Luke at all.

The fact that he was arrested by the _Galactic Republic_ is what set him on the edge.

The Galactic Republic—the most corrupt and deficient government in the history of the galaxy. He was now a prisoner of the Jedi—the _enemy_.

Sure, Luke may have run away from home, but he never wanted to _betray_ his father.

On that note, he was terrified.

A police officer came up and sat across from Luke.

There was a moment of silence before the officer spoke.

"So you're back, eh?"

Luke kept an expressionless appearance.

The officer raised an eyebrow, "I'm not really the one to interrogate you. You see, we had the Jedi involved in your case. He should be here momentarily."

Again, Luke said nothing.

"You must be proud of yourself. You're now an infamous criminal throughout the Core Worlds. Who knows what would happen if the Jedi didn't step in?" The officer said in an annoying tone.

Luke rolled his eyes, "I think what you mean to say is that your 'Police Department' is full of a bunch of nerf-herders who couldn't catch two teenagers. And even with your stupid Jedi involved, you never would have found us if someone had never tipped you off."

The officer looked appalled, "What, are you scolding us for doing a bad job of arresting you?"

Luke shrugged, "No, I'm just sorry that your reputation is so kriffed up right now."

The officer's eyebrows shot up so high that Luke couldn't even see them anymore. "You think you're funny?"

Luke shrugged, keeping a straight face the entire time. "I like to make people laugh."

The officer sat fuming in his seat. Just before the officer was about to reply, he got a message on his comlink. He read it and smiled.

The officer got up from his seat and gave a nod to Luke, "See you around, kid. Or… maybe _not_. Depends how many life sentences you get in here."

Luke gave the officer a dirty look and then folded his arms. He waited in his seat for someone else to resume the questioning.

The metal doors opened once more and in entered Anakin Skywalker.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

Anakin Skywalker sat down.

The boy in front of him was indeed very peculiar. Anyone that knew Anakin and Padmé, and then looked at this boy, could tell that he was their son.

Luke arguably looked a lot more like his mother. Although Luke inherited Anakin's blonde hair and blue eyes, his face was shaped more round like Padmé's.

Luke just stared back at the Jedi Master, unaware that Anakin was studying Luke like a nexu.

Anakin had hundreds, no, _thousands_ of questions for the boy. He couldn't believe that after all these years Luke was finally so close…sitting right in front of him.

"So… That was pretty impressive." Anakin commented, breaking the silence.

Luke just stared at the Jedi, expressionless.

"I don't think I've seen such an impressive escape." Anakin continued, "Actually, I don't think I've ever seen anyone escape the Coruscant Prison in general."

Luke didn't say anything.

"How did you do it?" Anakin asked, even though he already knew.

Luke had a trace of a small smile on his lips.

"Are you going to answer any of my questions any time soon?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded, amused.

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "So, what? You used the Force. How did you learn to use the Force so well?"

"Practice." Luke finally replied.

Anakin nodded, "So you have been arrested before?"

Luke cringed, "_No._ I've never been arrested in my life! There's no way you would have caught us if you weren't told about us."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Why do you think we would need help to find you?"

"Because your Republic is corrupt and too out-of-date to function." Luke shot back quickly.

Anakin sighed, "So, do you know what you did was wrong?"

"No."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "You don't think stealing is wrong?"

Luke shrugged, "Of course it's wrong. It's the worst thing someone could do."

Anakin looked confused, "Well… It's not the_ worst_ thing someone could do… There's _killing_…"

Luke shook his head, "Killing _is _stealing. When you kill, you steal the right to live."

Anakin just stared at Luke. "I've never thought of it like _that_ before."

"Of course not, you're a Jedi. You guys steal all the time, but you don't really want to think of it as stealing, so you lie to yourselves."

Anakin frowned, "What do you mean?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "Whatever. How long do I have to stay in jail?"

Anakin sighed, "Depends…"

"On?" Luke urged.

Anakin shrugged, "We'll see."

Luke sat back and looked away, obviously very annoyed.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself." Anakin commented, referring to the interrogation that Luke was going through.

Luke rolled his eyes, "_No_, I'm having the time of my life."

Anakin laughed, too rejoiced that he was actually speaking to his son. He was too distracted to actually presume the role of a serious Jedi who had to be questioning a juvenile delinquent.

"So is this how you Jedi get all of your work done? By laughing at your rule-breakers?" Luke asked, exasperated.

"I would expect that reply from a Sith," Anakin replied, his laughter dying out.

Luke didn't say anything.

"So you don't deny it," Anakin urged. "You're a Sith apprentice. Who's your master?"

Luke remained silent.

"You don't have one?" Anakin guessed.

Again, Luke didn't say anything.

Anakin nodded slowly, "Interesting… But I don't think you could learn all of your tricks without a master."

Luke just stared at Anakin.

"I guess I can't really force you to answer me." Anakin said, "I must admit though, you're good a shielding your mind from me. How did you learn that?"

Luke just sat there.

"Still no answer? Wow, we were able to open up Solo a lot more than you…"

Luke frowned angrily.

"Is he not your friend?" Anakin asked lightly.

"It's not fair you used your Jedi mind tricks on him." Luke said quietly.

"I can't really say I'm sorry."

Luke narrowed his eyes, "You will be…"

"Thinking of pulling an escape plan?" Anakin asked, smiling.

"You know it." Luke said, "That's why you need to make sure you lock me up extra hard this time."

"Actually, we have a different sentence for you."

Luke frowned, "W-What do you mean?"

Anakin just smiled, amused.

"I don't think it's legal to sentence minors to death. And you can't kill me now, I'm unarmed!" Luke said uneasily.

Anakin chuckled, "Relax, Luke, we're not going to kill you."

"Then what's gonna happen to me?"

"Something else…" Anakin mused, "You'll find out later, I promise. But you'll have to stay under the supervision of the Jedi at all times. We're really uneasy about Sith around here, if you don't know."

Luke just rolled his eyes.

Anakin nodded, smiling. "So, who is Jared?"

"What?"

"Your friend Solo mentioned him once." Anakin said, "Are you related to him?"

Luke just glared at Anakin, "No."

Anakin realized he hit a touchy subject. Had Anakin been interrogating Luke for real, he would have pressed him more on the issue. But now, Anakin would have all the time in the world (hopefully) to bring the topic back up. He decided to change the focus.

"When you were arrested, we confiscated something of yours." Anakin said.

Luke quickly looked back at Anakin.

Anakin unclipped a lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hand in front of Luke, "Is this yours?"

Luke sat up and widened his eyes.

Anakin smiled, "Thought so. But I'm curious…" He ignited the lightsaber, "It's red…"

Luke didn't say anything.

"So you are definitely training to be a Sith…" Anakin agreed, "Again, who is your master?"

"I don't have one."

"You don't have one…_anymore_?"

Luke nodded, not taking his eyes off of his lightsaber.

"Do you want this back?" Anakin asked Luke, almost in a taunting manner.

Luke just looked back up at Anakin.

"Did you make it yourself?" Anakin asked.

Luke didn't reply.

"I'm guessing you did… it looks a lot like my old master Obi-Wan's, actually. Except yours is smaller because _you_ are smaller." Anakin said playfully.

Luke just looked at the Jedi Master skeptically.

Anakin swished Luke's lightsaber around. "Impressive." He said again, and then deactivated it. "So… What have you done with this weapon?"

Luke didn't say anything.

Anakin sighed impatiently, "This isn't a game where you can choose what to reply to. You have to answer everything I ask you."

"Or what?" Luke pressed, "Are you going to take me to some torture chamber?"

Anakin smiled, "We can't use those on younglings."

Luke shrugged, "Well…maybe I want to be tried as an adult… Oh wait, hold on… I'm not getting a trail at all, now, _am I_?"

Anakin smiled, "You're quite right."

Luke scoffed, "That's like… unconstitutional."

Anakin shrugged "Well you were arrested by the Jedi… things are a little different. Your trial will be in front of the Jedi Council."

"I've never heard of that being done to other people who go to jail for _robberies_." Luke said.

"You're kind of different. You're a thirteen year-old who can use the Force and escape a high-security prison." Anakin replied.

Luke just rolled his eyes.

"So," Anakin started, changing the subject, "Why did you drop out of school?"

Luke shrugged, "I had other things to do."

Anakin shook his head, "You're going to have to make up those last few months before you can move on."

Luke just stared at Anakin. "_Move on?_ Hold on, I dropped out. You can't make me go back!"

Anakin chuckled, "Yes I can."

Luke huffed and folded his arms.

Anakin laughed, "Let's go."

"I get to go back to my cell now?" Luke said, relieved.

Anakin frowned and shook his head, "Of course not. We're going to the Jedi Temple."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Luke followed Anakin down the long hallway of the police department.

"What, no clones? Aren't you afraid I'll run away or something?" Luke pestered.

Anakin laughed, "You won't be running away from _me_."

Luke huffed, "We'll see about that."

They continued walking until they reached the lobby. Anakin didn't even sign any release papers or anything. Luke frowned, "Am I, like, just allowed to leave?"

Anakin nodded, "Yes, but you have to stay with a Jedi at all times."

Luke looked at Anakin strangely and then continued following him out of the building.

Anakin led Luke out to a parking garage where he found his speeder. He opened the passenger door for Luke. Luke gave Anakin a weird look before getting in. Anakin chuckled and then proceeded to go to the pilot's seat.

"I'm not really allowed to get into a speeder with strangers." Luke said coolly as Anakin shut the speeder door.

Anakin just laughed, "You just did."

"Why do you laugh at everything I say?" Luke asked, annoyed.

"Why do you ignore everything I ask?" Anakin retorted.

Luke just folded his arms.

Anakin continued to drive the speeder in the heavy traffic of Coruscant's afternoon rush hour.

"Why do I have to go to the Jedi Temple?" Luke asked uneasily.

"Why is it such a big deal for you?" Anakin asked, "I told you, you have to be under the supervision of the Jedi at all times."

"So… I have to stay at the Jedi Temple or something?"

Anakin smiled, "We'll see."

Luke sighed.

It was quiet except for all of the sounds coming from outside. Anakin decided to fill the silence, "So, Luke, tell me about yourself. You live on Corellia?"

Luke nodded.

"How long have you lived there?"

Luke shrugged, "A while."

"Were you born there?"

"No." Luke answered.

Anakin nodded, "Where were you born?"

"Here."

Anakin smiled, "That's good."

Luke frowned, "What do you mean?"

Anakin shrugged, "Nothing. It's just good that you know where you were born. Do you know your real parents?"

Luke shrugged, "Not personally."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, "Do you know who they are?"

Luke shrugged, "I have an idea, I don't know their names, but I know what kind of people they were."

Anakin sighed, "Oh… What kind of people are they?"

Luke frowned, "Why do I have to tell you this? Why don't you tell me about _your_ parents?"

Anakin shrugged, figuring that it may be the best way to gain the trust of this boy. "Fine. I grew up on Tatooine. I lived there with my mother."

Luke frowned, not expecting the Jedi Master to actually cede to his demands. "What happened to your father?"

"I never had one."

For a moment, Luke almost thought he shared a common history with the Jedi. "You mean he left when you were little?"

Anakin shook his head, "No, I biologically never had one."

Luke frowned, "How?"

"I guess my mother just became pregnant one day. I was born by the will of the Force." Anakin answered, smiling at Luke.

Luke made a strange face, "Okay, that's…weird and unheard of."

Anakin chuckled, "I know. I looked nothing like my mother though. She had dark hair and brown eyes, I was the opposite."

Luke smiled lightly, looking out the window. He never really fit in with his own family's looks either.

"Why did you leave?" Anakin asked.

"I got bored with life there." Luke answered, "I left to pursue other evil projects."

Anakin laughed, "You're thirteen. I hardly believe you're evil."

Luke just shrugged.

"Well," Anakin began, "I told you about _my_ life—"

"Hardly!" Luke interrupted.

Anakin sighed, "Fine. I was actually a slave when I was younger…along with my mother. We were owned by Gardula the Hutt until we were sold to a shop owner in Mos Espa."

Luke's eyebrows shot up as he turned to look at Anakin. "You were…a slave?"

Anakin nodded, focusing on his driving, "It's a very long story. I was freed when I was nine, and then I became a Jedi."

Luke looked surprised, "Wow… I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Anakin assured, "It wasn't your fault."

"What happened to your mother?" Luke asked.

Anakin shook his head, smiling, "I think it's your turn now."

Luke sighed, "What do you want me to tell you?"

Anakin shrugged, "Who did you live with on Corellia?"

"My dad, brother, and sister." Luke answered.

Anakin frowned, "I thought you said—"

"He's not my biological dad." Luke explained.

Anakin nodded, "Did he teach you the ways of the Sith?"

Luke just shrugged.

"Is that a yes?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded.

"Who are your brother and sister?"

"Jared and Aria." Luke answered.

"So that young lad that came in was your brother?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded slowly, frowning as he realized his speculations about Jared were correct.

"Why would he do that to you?"

"They've been trying to get rid of me for a year or so now so it's nothing new. But he's pretty stupid. He couldn't kill me himself so instead he just wants me to go to _jail_." Luke scoffed.

"Why?" Anakin asked.

"It's a really long story." Luke said.

"We have time." Anakin assured.

Luke just shrugged, "They think I'm in the way."

Anakin nodded slowly, "Is your father one of those people who pretend to be a Sith, but don't have any power to make an impact on the galaxy?"

Luke snorted, "I wish."

Anakin frowned, "What do you mean?"

Luke pointed to the big building in front of them, "Is that the Temple?"

Anakin glanced at the Temple from the window for a second and then looked back at Luke. "What, yes." He said distractedly, "But what do you mean?"

Luke just stared at Anakin.

"Luke, what are you talking about?"

"I didn't say anything." Luke insisted.

Anakin sighed, "I guess I shouldn't just jump to drastic questions now. I'll wait…"

Anakin parked the speeder and the two got out.

The two were walking inside the huge hall in the Temple.

Luke was looking around, his eyes wide in amazement.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" Anakin asked, smiling at Luke.

Luke shrugged, trying not to look too impressed, "It's…big."

Anakin nodded. They reached the large doors that led to the High Council Chambers.

"Wait here." Anakin told Luke. "Don't be cool and run away. It won't work."

Luke rolled his eyes and sat on a nearby bench.

* * *

><p>Anakin sat down in his seat in the Council Chambers.<p>

"You're late." Obi-Wan scolded, sitting right next to him.

Anakin shook his head, "I'm sorry. I was held late at the PD."

Obi-Wan shook his head, smiling.

Mace Windu cleared his throat, "We were just discussing the mission that young Tano came back from."

"Ahsoka's back?" Anakin asked, surprised.

"I'm right here!" Ahsoka said, hurt that her old master didn't see her standing in the middle of the room.

Anakin shook his head, "Sorry, I was distracted."

Windu nodded, "She was inspecting a riot that happened on Malastare. It seems that the people are not too happy with their government at the moment."

Ki-Adi Mundi snorted, "Of course they're not. Their government is fraudulent and corrupt!"

Anakin laughed, remembering what Luke said earlier about the Republic.

Mundi gave Anakin a weird look, "What is it?"

Anakin tried to cover his laughter with fake coughs, "N-Nothing. Please, continue. Sorry, Masters."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

"What did you learn from the riots?" Aayla Secura, another Master on the Council, asked.

"Apparently, the people are upset that their tax money is not going to their planet needs, however to something else. Their taxes are being used to fund a secret establishment of sorts." Ahsoka explained.

"Well, their senator is not my favorite woman in the world." Secura commented.

"Young Tano thinks there seems to be a link between the stolen tax credits and the stolen documents from Senator Mothma's desk." Windu said.

"They were stolen by the same person?" Obi-Wan asked, shocked.

Windu shook his head, "No. The tax credits were stolen by someone in the Malastarian government. But someone from the Malastarian government must have paid someone to come and pay those two convicts to steal them."

"That's a lot of inside jobs." Obi-Wan commented.

"Speaking of convicts…" Anakin began, "I have some good news."

The whole council directed their attention towards Anakin.

"I made a deal with a young girl who happened to be helping the escapee hide. Luke offered to trade places with the second criminal, Han Solo." Anakin explained.

Windu frowned, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, my men have been looking for Luke for more than a week now, it was my best option." Anakin said.

Windu nodded, "When will the transaction occur?"

"It already did." Anakin said.

"Where's Luke?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Outside the door." Anakin answered.

Everyone in the Council Chamber suddenly became stimulated, many of them realizing that no other being in the galaxy could set off such a strong Force signature outside the chamber like Luke Skywalker.

"Young Tano," Yoda began, "Bring in the youngling, can you?"


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

A togruta female exited the High Council Chambers. She was dressed in the robes of a Jedi Knight.

"Are you Luke?" The togruta asked.

Luke nodded slowly, frowning.

The togruta smiled—a smile that was almost too wide for a normal Jedi, Luke thought. "I'm Ahsoka. The Masters will see you now."

Luke stood up and then the togruta, Ahsoka, walked down the grand hall and left from view.

Luke entered the large room and looked at Anakin, who motioned for him to come stand in the middle.

Luke began to feel uncomfortable from all of the stares he was getting from the Jedi Masters all around the room.

"Hello, Young Luke." A small green creature—that Luke recognized to be the famous Master Yoda—greeted.

Luke just stared at the Jedi Grand Master.

"Escaped the Coruscanti Prison, you did." Yoda stated.

Luke didn't say anything.

"With you, strong, the Force is." Yoda said, "But clouded, your judgment seems. Clouded with the Dark Side…"

Luke looked at Yoda skeptically.

"Master Skywalker explained to us about you and your arrest." Another Jedi Master—that Luke recognized as Mace Windu—said. "Does your friend have any connection to the Force?"

Luke shook his head slowly, staring at Windu.

"We have your lightsaber." Windu commented.

"I'll just make a new one." Luke said, unperturbed by the Jedi. He knew what this all was—intimidation. The most powerful Jedi in the galaxy would sit around in a circle and make their visitors stand in the center. Luke felt a surge of anger; intimidation will _not_ work on him.

Yoda eyed him acutely.

Luke looked back at him, trying to muster his own daunting look back at the old master.

"I sense much…fear in you."

Luke was caught off guard. Fear? _Fear? _

"I'm not afraid." Luke said, his words very stoical.

Watching the conversation, Anakin couldn't help but remember his own first meeting with the High Council.

Yoda grunted, "But angry, are you not?"

Luke looked down, folding his arms across his chest.

"Fear leads to anger, young one."

Luke snapped, "So what am I afraid of?"

The Masters all looked around at each other, murmuring. The three Jedi in front of him—Yoda, Windu, and the Cerean—all glanced at each other. On the other side of Windu sat an auburn-headed male, in between Windu and Anakin Skywalker. He eyed Luke with the most assaulting look, as if he was trying to really understand Luke but all the while finding this situation amusing. This made Luke angrier.

"Us." Yoda said simply.

Luke almost laughed, "I'm not afraid of you!"

The auburn-haired man spoke, "You certainly have a deep-rooted fear of the Jedi."

Luke turned to look at him with the strangest expression. "Gee, thanks doctor. And are you the psychologist of the group?"

He could tell Anakin was trying hard not to smile, but the rest of the Jedi didn't seem so amused.

"Do you know who you're talking to, young boy?" Windu, the hot-head, asked.

Luke gave Windu an apathetic look, "Do I care?"

The man chuckled as if this was no big deal at all, "No worries, Master."

Windu shook his head and Luke turned back at the man.

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, I'm a good friend of your—of Anakin."

Luke didn't notice the almost-slip up, so Obi-Wan continued. "All I was saying is that someone obviously went out of their way to instill in you some anti-Jedi notions."

"A Sith Lord, perhaps?" Another master on the Council suggested, the Cerean next to Yoda.

The Masters looked at Luke in silence, waiting for an answer.

"Well, Luke?" Anakin said, prompting him.

Luke didn't even look over at Anakin, he kept his gaze right in Mace Windu's eyes. "If you don't already know, I'm _not_ going to tell you."

Mace Windu exhaled a deep sigh, and the other Jedi seemed uneasy.

Luke began formulating all these plots in his mind. There was no way the Jedi could keep him prisoner—his father would surely not allow it. Luke would have to find a way to contact his father somehow… Without the Jedi knowing…

"You're too dangerous to be left alone." Windu said finally.

"Stay with a Jedi at all times, you will." Yoda said.

Luke frowned, "What do you mean, I'm not going back to prison?"

Yoda shook his head slowly.

Luke just frowned, confused and a little nervous.

"You are to stay with Master Skywalker at all times." Windu explained.

Luke's jaw dropped, "What? Why? Are you sure I can't just stay in prison?" Luke's father would have a much better chance at breaking him out of prison. But if he were to be with _Anakin Skywalker_…

Obi-Wan chuckled quietly next to Anakin. "I don't think young Luke likes you, Anakin."

"He'll have to get used to it." Anakin muttered.

Windu shook his head, "You're too unpredictable to stay in prison."

Yoda stood up from his chair with a help of his crane, "Adjourned, this meeting is."

The Masters all got up to leave except for Anakin.

He came up and gave Luke a hard pat on the back, "So you go from spending your years in the spice mines of Kessel to probably only five years with me in the nice home of 500 Republica."

Luke shrugged Anakin's hand off his shoulder, "This isn't funny."

Anakin gave Luke an amused smile and crossed his arms across his chest, "Ready to go?"

Luke just looked up at Anakin unbelievably, "Isn't this all a little unorthodox? I mean, I committed a pretty big crime. Do other criminals get this punishment?"

Anakin shrugged, "You're special."

"Because I'm a Sith? Doesn't that make me worse, though?"

Anakin shook his head, smiling, "You're not a Sith. You're someone who has been trained in the ways of the Dark Side, but you don't know half as much about the Force as you think you do. You're not a Sith."

* * *

><p>Anakin and Luke were walking down the grand hall of the Jedi Temple once more.<p>

Anakin stopped, "Wait here, I need to go make a comm call."

Luke sighed, "Take your time…"

Anakin left Luke and went into a small room and took out his comlink.

A holographic image of his wife appeared, "Anakin?"

Anakin smiled, "Padmé, are you home?"

Padmé nodded, "Yes, is there something wrong?"

Anakin chuckled, "No, absolutely not. I need to ask you a favor. Can you tell Threepio to get Luke's old room ready?"

Padmé frowned, "Ready for what? Ani, you know how I feel about people using his room… Can't you use one of our guest rooms?"

Anakin sighed, "Padmé, please, we need to use Luke's room. Just have it ready, I'll explain when I get home."

Padmé sighed, "Fine…"

Anakin beamed, "I'll see you soon, my love."

Padmé smiled, "Bye, Anakin."

Anakin smiled as he clipped his comlink back onto his belt. He went outside to see Luke still waiting in the hall. "Let's go." He said, and they began walking out to the speeder again.

They got into the craft and Anakin began flying.

Anakin sat deliberating for a few moments as he piloted his way to his home. How would he tell Padmé? Should he have told her before? Was it a good idea to keep something like this a surprise? How will Luke react if Padmé spilled the beans?

Anakin shook his head. _Obi-Wan was right_, he thought, _I am horrible at planning ahead._

Anakin took a look at Luke. Luke was resting his cheek on his elbow, staring out the window at the Coruscant sunset.

Anakin contemplated. Luke already thought that this whole ordeal was very strange. Anakin needed to lay down some rules to make it look like this was completely normal…even though it was not.

"So here are the rules." Anakin began.

Luke put his elbow down and looked up at the Jedi Master.

"No weapons at all times. Okay?"

Luke shrugged.

"No death threats to my family."

Luke smiled.

"You have to follow all our house rules. That includes going to bed on time, and no watching inappropriate holos."

"Do you treat all of your Sith prisoners like this?" Luke asked.

Anakin shook his head, "Not necessarily… Sith are a rare thing. We usually kill them, but ah…. like I said, you're not a real Sith."

"Yes I am." Luke muttered, folding his arms.

"No you're not. Look, this is a good sentence as any other. You're going to be disciplined here just like any other prisoner. So in five years, you'll be as good as new."

Luke just sighed, closing his eyes. _What have I gotten myself into?!_

"Alright, maybe I should tell you now…" Anakin began, "I have a very nice wife. She's almost _too_ kind. But don't disrespect her in any way. She's a senator, so she has a lot of class."

"I used to have class," Luke said, opening his eyes, "but then I dropped out."

Anakin rolled his eyes, smiling. "I'm being serious. I also have a daughter, she's you're age. Be nice."

"I'll try." Luke said sarcastically.

Anakin pulled the speeder to a stop on a landing pad. "Alright, here we are."

Luke looked at the nice house, "Since technically Jedi don't make money, could your wife kick you out any time if you get divorced?"

Anakin looked at Luke uneasily, "I guess…"

Luke smiled, "That must stink for you."

Anakin shook his head, "I think my wife loves me too much."

"I bet," Luke muttered, "You broke all the rules for her."

Anakin raised his eyebrow, "How do you know so much?"

Luke shrugged, not feeling like telling him about all the anti-Jedi propaganda back on his home world.

Anakin led Luke to the back door that led to a large, nice sitting area. Luke followed Anakin into the kitchen. Anakin turned to Luke. "I just want to warn you," he whispered, "If my wife says or does something crazy, it's for a reason that I will explain much later, okay?"

Luke frowned, "What do you m—"

But before Luke could finish his question, a door on the other side of the kitchen opened.

A woman wearing a professional-looking gown entered the room. Her dark brown hair was weaved into some sophisticated hairdo. Luke immediately recognized her as the Senator of Naboo, however her exact name escaped him.

"Ani, could you—" The senator began to say, and then stopped. Her eyes traveled down to the younger-looking version of her husband that was standing right next to him. Her eyes widened.

"Padmé," Anakin said slowly, "I—"

But before Anakin could get out what he wanted to say, Padmé was already hugging the very taken aback Luke and crying.

She immediately stopped and let go. She glanced at Luke, who was unbelievably creeped out and somewhat terrified of the situation he got himself into.

"I'm so sorry…" Padmé sniffed, not sounding very sorry at all.

Luke was speechless, staring at the senator with his jaw dropped.

Anakin chuckled nervously, "Well, this is…Padmé…"

Luke just stood there, staring at the woman who just hugged him—and was _crying_—for no reason.

Padmé smiled, biting her lip.

"And Padmé, this is, ah, Luke." Anakin said awkwardly.

Padmé smiled, wiping away some tears, "Well, I have to, um, go."

"Okay." Anakin said, looking down and biting his lip, "Did you tell Threepio to do what I asked?"

Padmé just laughed, "Oh, I see. Yes, I did."

Padmé left through the doors she came from.

Anakin turned to face Luke, who was still standing there speechless.

"What the _kriff_ was _that _all about?" Luke asked, exasperated.

Anakin just laughed.

"I swear on my dead mother's grave, this was the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me. And I've had a _lot_ of weird things happen to me."

Anakin just laughed even harder. He finally calmed down, "She's just kind of…emotional. And don't swear on your dead mother's grave, it's not nice."

"Why?" Luke asked.

Anakin shrugged, "How do you know your mother is not still alive?"

"No, I mean why is she so emotional?" Luke asked.

Anakin sighed, "I guess you must have reminded her of someone…no big deal."

Luke just looked at Anakin strangely, "Okay…"

"Don't worry about it," Anakin assured, "she just needs to be alone right now to get over herself and then she will be normal. It's all good."

"Are you sure? I can tell this is going to be an awkward situation for everyone. Don't you think I could just… leave? Look, I have an idea, I can run away and you can pretend to look for me so it doesn't look like it's your fault." Luke offered.

"No." Anakin said shortly.

"Come on, everyone knows that I don't want to be here just as much as you don't _want_ me to be here." Luke insisted.

Anakin shook his head, "That's not true. I love teaching Sith-in-training the ways of the light side of the Force."

Luke cringed, "I'm not becoming a Jedi, if that's what you mean."

Anakin sighed, "We'll talk about this later. For now, let me just show you your room."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Anakin was sitting out on the balcony enjoying the cool breeze of the Coruscant dusk when he heard his wife come up to him. He patted the seat next to him and gestured for her to sit down.

Padmé sat and laid her head on Anakin's chest. They sat there silently for a few moments, watching the stars twinkle up in the Coruscanti sky.

"Why are you late?" Anakin asked softly.

Padmé exhaled, "I don't know. I needed to be alone for a while."

"I can see that."

Padmé sighed, "To tell you the truth, I went to my office in the Executive Building. I sat at my desk and cried for an hour."

Anakin chuckled softly.

"Don't laugh." Padmé scolded.

Anakin sighed, "Well, you were gone for more than an hour. What else did you do?"

Padmé shrugged, "I looked through a holo album that contained holos of the twins up until they were three. I always keep it in my office. I felt that it was a good time to look at it. After I put that away… I cried for another hour."

Anakin stroked her hair with his prosthetic hand, smiling.

"It's almost too good to be true…after so long… Where is he now?" Padmé asked.

Anakin smiled; the hand that was stroking her hair was now just draped over her shoulder. "I left him in his room for five minutes to go tell Threepio to prepare dinner, and then I returned and found him fast asleep."

Padmé grinned, "This is all so surreal. I never thought…I never expected… Oh, I have so many questions…"

Anakin scoffed, "Don't we all?"

Padmé frowned, "How long have you had him? How did you bring him? Where did you find him? Anakin, how could you keep this from me?"

Anakin lifted the hand that wasn't draped over her shoulder and lightly covered her mouth with it.

"Anakin." Padmé said, her voice muffled by her husband's hand. Anakin didn't let go so she bit his palm.

Anakin quickly removed his hand, "Feisty."

"I'm being serious." Padmé said, looking up at Anakin.

Anakin sighed, "He and his friend were the criminals that I was supposed to catch."

Padmé gasped, "My son is a thief?"

"Well, he _was _raised by a Sith."

Padmé sat up, "What!?"

Anakin shook his head, "It all makes sense now… The Sith wanted to use his natural abilities."

Padmé looked dumbfounded, "Sith? What Sith?"

"Padmé, it's so clear now." Anakin said, sitting up and putting his head in his hands. "All those disturbances that I was telling you about… The disturbances felt by the Council and I… It has to be coming from a Sith. He was so good at hiding… He's obviously adept in the Dark Side."

"Where did the Sith hide him?" Padmé asked.

Anakin shook his head, "Corellia. _Corellia!_ I mean, how many times did I ever go to Corellia in the past ten years? He was on a planet barely a few thousand parsecs away."

Padmé sighed, "Maybe we called off the search to early?"

Anakin shook his head, "Too early? If we spent five years looking and we_ still_ didn't find him, I don't think we ever would have, even if we continued the search."

"I guess it was up to the Force." Padmé said.

Anakin nodded, "Soon, everything should make sense. But, Force, I have so many questions!"

"Don't bombard him with questions, you'll just overwhelm him." Padmé cautioned.

"It's not like he answers them anyway." Anakin said, "It's like he has this mode where he only answers the questions he _wants_ to answer. Any other time, he just _stares_ at you."

Padmé laughed, "That reminds me… After I hugged him, he gave me the most creeped-out look!"

"Yeah, bad idea." Anakin told her.

Padmé chuckled, "It was spontaneous. I didn't think. When are we going to tell him though? About us?"

Anakin sighed, "Not now. He needs to get used to us first."

Padmé nodded, "But we can't wait too long. If we do, he will detest us for deceiving him this whole time."

Anakin agreed, "True. What about Leia? She'll be home in a few days."

"I'll warn her beforehand." Padmé said.

Anakin nodded.

"It's late. We should probably head off to bed." Padmé suggested.

Anakin smiled, standing up, "You're right—I'm beat."

Padmé grinned and grabbed Anakin's hand, pulling him inside.

* * *

><p>Han sat in Mara's living room, his head propped on his elbow. He was staring out the large picturesque window at all the speeders fly by in the Coruscanti sky.<p>

"He's been like that all day." Lenore commented.

Mara sighed and walked over to Han. She sat by him and put her hand on his arm, "Are you okay?"

"Is Luke okay?" Han shot back.

Mara bit her lip.

"I can't believe you actually let him do that!" Han said, disbelieved. Of all places—of all people—it was the _Jedi_ who apprehended his best friend.

Mara sighed, "Me too. He thought he could escape again."

Han scoffed, "Yeah right! Do you know what the Jedi told me? That I could pass off as innocent and that Luke was the real culprit! He's _never_ going to get out of there."

"I can't believe that… This is _Luke _we're talking about." Mara said, "How many messed up situations was he able to get out of in his life?"

Han shrugged at the rhetorical question.

Mara stood up and motioned for Han to follow along into the living room, "Come on. The Naboo Nebulas are versing the Hapes Hawk-bats."

Han smiled softly at the mention of sports, "I wish Luke was here to watch it."

* * *

><p><em>Luke was in his favorite place in the whole galaxy. He was standing atop a ledge of the roof of one of the tallest skyscrapers on Corellia, overseeing the capital city. Luke had no fear of heights. He stepped closer to the edge so that the tips of his shoes were sticking out over the miles of air underneath.<em>

_As he watched the sun set on the city, Luke felt the presence of another being behind him._

_Luke didn't like it when outsiders visited him in his happy place. Especially his father._

_"Luke, what are you doing?" Luke heard his father ask behind him._

_Luke didn't turn around to answer him; he kept his eyes on the horizon. "Watching the sunset."_

_"That's not what I meant."_

_Luke sighed and turned around. He hopped off the edge of the rooftop and faced his father._

_The Sith Lord seemed the same as usual. He was standing tall, wearing his black robes. His black hair was trimmed, and he looked irate. He hadn't changed._

_"Why are you here?" Luke asked, annoyed._

_"You need to come home, now." His father said sternly._

_"I thought it was Jared and Aria's job to make sure I did that." Luke ridiculed. _

_His father pursed his lips, "They're useless. But don't worry; Jared was punished for his mindless acts. You need to come back now."_

_"Why?" _

_His father narrowed his Sith-yellow eyes at him, "I'll be waiting. Don't make me come looking for you."_

_The image of his father dissolved. Luke exhaled; things would never be the same._

_Luke turned around to catch one last glimpse of the sun setting. However, the sun had disappeared. There was another spherical-figure that took its place._

_It was the Death Star._

Luke jolted awake, panting.

Had he really just had a conversation with his father? Or was it just a dream?

Luke shook his head, it was too real to just be a dream.

Luke rubbed his eyes and looked around the room.

_Where the hell am I?_ He thought for a moment. The room was nicely furnished. The whole house had a theme of white colors. His bed sheets were all white, the curtains were white, the carpet was white. It was very different from his old room on Corellia.

_Oh yeah_, he remembered, _I'm in prison._

Luke got out of bed and went into the refresher that was joined to his room. After freshening up and getting ready, he got out and decided to inspect the room. It was still very early in the day. He opened the curtains to reveal the sun was just about to rise on the planet.

There was an adjoining balcony to the room. Luke turned around and saw a closet on the other side of the bed. He walked over and opened it.

Luke frowned. There were all sorts of clothes in there. All boy clothes. There were toddler clothes all ranging up to clothes that were relatively his size. Luke just decided to wear what he wore yesterday. They weren't really all that dirty, anyway.

Right next to the closet there was a mirror. There had been a mirror in the refresher too but Luke hadn't taken the time to really study himself.

Luke noticed that his hair had gotten much longer. Soon his bangs would reach his eyes. Luke inspected his eyes. They were almost fully healed. All the months living away from home had changed his appearance. Luke had never remembered a time where he _didn't_ have black, inflamed eyes or any other types of scarring on his face. Luke smiled; he always thought he looked tough with all the bruising.

_What's next?_ He thought, looking around the room.

"Next, we eat breakfast."

Luke spun around to the source of the voice. Anakin was standing in the doorway, beaming at Luke.

Luke just raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"You're vulnerable in the morning." Anakin shook his head, amused. "Did you forget to put up your mind shields? I could hear you all the way from the other side of the house."

Luke gaped at the Jedi Master, quickly doubling up his mind shields. "That's not cool."

Anakin shrugged, "I can't keep up with what kids think is cool nowadays."

Luke just rolled his eyes.

"Come on." Anakin gestured towards the hallway.

Luke followed Anakin downstairs to the kitchen. He watched as the Jedi Master attempted to make a meal.

"Don't you have a droid or something?" Luke asked, amused.

Anakin smiled, "Yes, but he went with Padmé to the Senate. All I have is Artoo." He pointed to an astromech droid with his prosthetic thumb.

The droid, Artoo, whistled happily and spun around in circles.

Anakin laughed.

"Do you know what it said?" Luke asked unbelievably.

"I know what I _think_ it said."

"What did it say?" Luke asked.

"If I tell you it would just be awkward." Anakin smiled to himself.

Luke just stared at Anakin suspiciously.

Anakin looked back at Luke and grinned.

"You know," Anakin began, "Padmé left you some clothes in your closet."

Luke frowned, "Oh. I didn't know whose those were."

Anakin chuckled, "They're yours."

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Anakin and Luke were sitting in Padmé's office upstairs. Anakin was reading over some things that pertained to his work on his datapad while Luke just sat on one of the leather seats in front of the desk.<p>

"How long do I have to stay here with you?" Luke asked after a long time of silence.

"We talked about this. Until you turn eighteen." Anakin replied, not looking up from his work.

"And I have to stay with you at _all_ times?" Luke asked.

Anakin nodded slowly, still reading from his datapad.

Luke sighed and leaned back in his seat, "Won't you get tired of babysitting me _all_ the _time_ for _five years_?"

Anakin smiled and shook his head.

"But aren't you a Jedi Master? Don't you have to go on important missions and whatever?" Luke asked, "I wouldn't go _with _you, right? What would happen to me then?"

"You'd stay with Padmé." Anakin answered lightly.

"But she's not a Jedi. You said—"

"I know what I said." Anakin interrupted, "But Padmé is technically authorized to take care of you. You're living in her house."

Luke sighed and stopped asking questions.

He began to look around the room.

He saw a holo image of a young girl with brown hair that seemed to be Luke's age. She was with two older women who were also brunettes.

"Is this your daughter?" Luke asked.

Anakin looked up and nodded, "Yes. Her name is Leia."

"Who are the other two girls?"

"Her cousins," Anakin answered, "Ryoo and Pooja. They live on Naboo."

Luke nodded and looked at all of the old-fashioned books on the shelves.

"What's with the old-school books?" Luke wondered.

Anakin smiled, "Padmé is very old-fashioned. She likes them. She thinks they are neat."

Luke nodded and sat back down in the leather seat. "So, where is your daughter?"

"On Alderaan. She's doing this summer program there." Anakin answered, looking back down at his work.

Luke sighed and stared out the window behind Padmé's desk. "What exactly are we going to do for the rest of the day?"

Anakin smiled and looked up at Luke, "Well, we have to test you. If you are to go back to school, we need to test what level you'll be on. You also have to make up for the parts of school you missed after you dropped out."

Luke groaned and slumped in his seat, "Are you serious? I have to go to school?"

"Of course." Anakin replied.

"But, I thought I was _arrested_." Luke reminded.

Anakin smiled, "By the time the school year comes by again, you'll be more comfortable going to school."

"That makes no sense." Luke said.

"You'll get used to us. We're almost like family now." Anakin grinned.

Luke just cringed. A few months ago, he had in mind that he was going to be the most powerful Sith ever. Now he was going to school and living with a Jedi?

_Sith spit_, Luke thought.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Luke couldn't sleep. He kept tossing around in his bed. He glanced at a chronometer on the nightstand next to his bed. It was 0200 hours. Luke sighed and got up. There was no use going to sleep. He would just get more nightmares.

He got up and decided to get ready, even though it was still early in the morning. That didn't matter to Luke, though. On Corellia he never slept either.

After exiting from the refresher, he went back to the closet. Apparently all of the clothes were his. Luke frowned. Why would he ever need toddler clothes? But the closet had more than just toddler clothes. It had clothes of _all_ sizes, all boy clothes. He even found several sizes of school uniforms.

Luke looked around for clothes that would fit him. There were actually a lot. But they were all summer clothes. Luke didn't like that. He found some long-sleeved tunics that might have fit him better last year and just decided to wear those. He went outside to the balcony.

It was the middle of the night but the city was still as busy as ever. Luke set on the edge of the balcony on the floor and swung his legs over so that they were sticking out in the air. There was a slight night breeze that blew through Luke's hair.

He only enjoyed the breeze for a little while. Because, all of a sudden, he felt the presence of his brother.

Luke narrowed his eyes. Jared was on Coruscant again.

He stood up and left the balcony, entering his room once more. He paced around. _What do I do?_

Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. He needed his friends.

He quietly and slowly left his room. The hallway was completely dark except for the light coming in from the windows. He walked past the master bedroom. The door was still open. Luke could make out Anakin and Padmé's figures in the bed. Anakin's arm was wrapped around Padmé's small form. They were fast asleep.

Luke made his way downstairs and slowly opened the door, hoping he wouldn't wake the Jedi and his wife.

He wasn't running away or anything. He just needed to… run an errand. Exactly.

He took a turbolift all the way down to the lobby of the building. He exited through the glass doors and found himself on a busy street in the Galactic City.

At first he thought he could simply steal a speeder and fly it all the way to Mara's house. It would be much quicker.

He shook his head; he couldn't get into any more trouble right now.

Luke thought about finding a cab. But he didn't have any money…

So in the end, Luke ran to Mara's house. It was a few miles away from 500 Republica. Luke figured it would be a good exercise.

Once he found Mara's building, he entered the lobby. He took a turbolift all the way to the forty-second floor. Of course, it wasn't actually only forty-two floors above the ground. The building itself was built on top of several other buildings beneath it. But the lower levels were part of the Under City.

Luke walked around the forty-second floor and found the correct apartment number. Using the Force, Luke opened the door. He slowly and quietly made his way to Mara's bedroom. He found Mara fast asleep. He shook her arm.

Mara grumbled something unintelligible and turned her back to Luke, still fast asleep.

Luke sighed and shook Mara even harder.

Mara's eyes snapped open. She turned around and opened her mouth, about to yell at anyone who dared to wake her up.

She stopped when she saw Luke.

"_Luke?_" Mara said unbelievably.

Luke smiled, "In the flesh."

Mara sat up and hugged her friend, "You did it! You escaped!"

Luke shook his head, "It's not like that. I have to go back."

Mara frowned, "What are you talking about? You're going _back_ to prison?"

Luke shook his head again, "It's a long story. I can't stay long though. I need your help. Where's Han?"

Mara bit her lip, "He's not with us anymore."

Luke gaped at Mara, "He _died_?!"

Mara laughed, "No! I mean, he's not staying with us anymore. It's a long story. This lady showed up at our house one day and claimed that she was supposed to be Han's guardian."

Luke frowned, "What?"

Mara shrugged, "Apparently, she was taking care of Han when she lived on Corellia. They were in a spaceport and were supposed to fly over here to Coruscant, but Han disappeared and she never saw him again."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "When did all of this happen?"

"A few days after he was released from prison." Mara smiled.

"Wow." Luke muttered, "Well, where is he?"

Mara shrugged, "He's a few blocks away actually. The woman that came in was a doctor, so she must have a nice place."

Luke sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Jared," Luke explained, "he's on Coruscant."

"How do you know?" Mara asked.

"I felt him." Luke said. "He's here to finish me off and I don't know what to do. I don't have a lightsaber anymore."

Mara groaned, "Luke, where are you staying right now? If you're not in prison…?"

"I had to go in front of the Jedi Council. They say that I have to stay with a Jedi at all times. They don't want me to pull another escape like that."

Mara frowned, "That's a weird sentence."

Luke scoffed, "Tell me about it."

Mara smiled, "What else?"

Luke stood up, "I have to go find Han. It's urgent. I'll come back another night, Mara, and I'll explain everything then. For now, go back to bed."

Mara yawned, "Fine." She said sleepily. "Don't do anything stupid, Vader."

Luke grinned crookedly at Mara, "Since when have you known me to do anything stupid?"

Mara scoffed and lied back down to sleep.

Luke left the building and tried to use the Force to find Han. It's a good thing that Luke knew Han's signature pretty well. If not, this would be very difficult for just a child to do.

Luke wandered around Coruscant. He should have probably found a weapon to carry, just in case Jared was able to corner him somewhere.

At last Luke found it. He felt Han's presence very strongly in one large building only a few blocks away from Mara's.

He went inside. _Where would I start?_ He thought.

He went up to a desk in the lobby and found a droid there.

"May I help you, sir?" The droid asked.

Luke nodded, "Is there a doctor living in this building?"

The droid checked his computer, "Yes. There are one hundred and sixty-six."

Luke groaned, "Female. How many female doctors?"

The droid checked again, "Sixty-seven."

Luke pounded his fist on the desk, "Is there a Han Solo registered somewhere in your computer?"

The droid checked, "No, sir."

Luke sighed, "Thanks anyway." He muttered and left the desk. He decided to go into the turbolift. Maybe somehow the Force could guide him to the apartment in which Han was in?

Luke closed his eyes. As the turbolift ascended, he began to feel Han's become stronger and stronger. He finally decided to get off at a certain floor and then walk down the corridor. He stood outside of a door with apartment number twenty-one written on it. This was it.

Slowly, he opened the door using the Force. The foyer was very large and well-decorated. There were two hallways that led to bedrooms: one on the left and one on the right. Han was on the left.

Luke found Han's room and opened it slightly.

Han was sprawled over the bed, the covers were thrown off of the bed.

Luke knew from experience that there was no way to wake Han up from his deep slumber. He went into an adjoining refresher and found a cup. He filled it with cold water and went back out to Han. Without thinking twice, he dumped the cold water on Han's face.

Han leaped up out of bed.

Luke covered his mouth to suppress laughing.

Han looked at Luke, "I'm going to kill you, Vader."

Luke chuckled.

Han went into the refresher to wipe his face off with a towel. He came into the room again and got back into bed, pulling the covers on top of him.

Luke waited a second, smiling.

After a minute, Han threw the covers off his body and tackled Luke with a hug.

"I can't believe it's you!" Han laughed.

Luke laughed too, "It took you a minute to realize it."

Han laughed, "Oh, man."

The two friends sat on Han's bed.

"What are you doing here?" Han asked.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Luke shot back, "Who is this lady? Mara told me about you and how you live with some doctor now."

Han shrugged, "She knew my parents. In my parents' will, they had her be my guardian or something. When she came to pick me up on Corellia, she lost me at a spaceport. I remember it all now… That was when I found Garris Shrike. I don't know why I did that…why I followed him."

Luke raised his eyebrows, "Wow." He muttered.

"How did you get out of jail?" Han asked.

"I didn't. Well, my sentence was a little more complicated… I have to be with a Jedi at all times. They don't want me escaping again. It's a little weird..."

Han smiled, "Better than serving both of our sentences combined in the spice mines of Kessel. I mean, we both had forty-five years' worth of time for our crimes. You'd have to spend ninety years behind bars or mining spice."

Luke chuckled, "Yeah, whatever."

Han shook his head, "I still can't believe you did that for me."

Luke sighed, "It was the only thing left to do."

Han smiled and slapped Luke hardly on the back.

Luke sighed and looked at Han, "I'm here for a reason. Jared's back."

Han's eyes popped out of his head.

Luke nodded, "I don't know what to do. I don't have a lightsaber anymore."

Han whistled, shaking his head. "What are you going to do?"

"I've made a decision, Han. I don't think you'll like it though."

"What?" Han asked.

Luke looked down on the floor, "I'm going to have to steal a lightsaber."

Han nodded, "Stealing isn't bad."

"And then I'm going to kill him."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Han blinked at Luke. "W-What?"

Luke nodded solemnly, "We can't run for the rest of our lives. I'm going to have to kill Jared. And Aria, too, if she's with him."

Han raised an eyebrow at Luke, "_Why?_"

Luke shook his head. Han would never understand. Han never really understood why they had to run away in the first place.

Han watched Luke. How could Luke kill his own brother? Han closed his eyes. He remembered how they all used to be friends. Then he remembered how Han used to have a crush on Luke's older sister when they were younger. How could Luke kill them in cold blood? Han shivered, remembering the dream he had moments before being released from prison. Was that dream supposed to foretell the future? Would Luke really become a killer? Would he end up killing Han too?

Han shook his head slowly, "I can't."

"Can't what?"

"I can't help you." Han said quietly.

Luke frowned, "What?"

Han stood up, "This is wrong, Luke."

Luke stood up angrily, "Don't you tell me what's right or wrong! It's _them_ that are wrong! Jared and Aria want to kill me! Would you rather them kill _me_, or _we_ kill them?"

Han shook his head, "Neither. You guys need to make up."

Luke stared at Han, baffled, "Don't you see? That can never happen! Han, you don't understand!"

Han shook his head, "I understand enough. Why do you want to kill them? Because they are bad? Well, why are they bad?"

"Because they want to kill _us!_"

"Then doesn't that make you bad, too? You want to fight fire with fire? It doesn't work!" Han yelled.

Luke stared at Han with disbelief. Was this actually happening? Was his best friend betraying him, too?

Luke shook his head furiously, "I don't know what I expected from a wimp like you."

"Go to hell." Han shot back.

"I'll see you there." Luke said curtly and left. He stomped out of Han's house, not caring if he woke anyone up anymore.

He left the building and made his way back to 500 Republica.

It was almost dawn and Luke opened the front door of the house using the Force. When he got in, he saw Padmé walk past the door and then stopped. She looked at Luke, frowning.

"Where were you?"

Luke stared at the senator for a moment, "I was, um, looking for a refresher…"

Padmé raised an eyebrow, "That's the front door."

"Yeah…" Luke said, "I know that _now_…"

Padmé crossed her arms, "Did you leave last night?"

Luke frowned, "Of course not! I was…exploring. I thought there was another room behind this door."

"But you just said you were looking for a refresher."

"Yes, that's true." Luke nodded.

Padmé looked at Luke skeptically. "Okay, well I have to go to work now. Goodbye, Luke." She reached to pat Luke's shoulder but then restrained herself and left.

Luke sighed, relieved that Padmé didn't press the issue. He went back to his room and sat on his bed.

Did he really just get into a nasty fight with his best friend?

Luke sighed. This was when he needed his friends the most…

Luke shook his head. _Han is a backstabber! After everything I did for him?! I went to _jail_ for him! And he won't help me with this little thing that would save _both_ of our lives?_

Luke shook his head, pursing his lips. He should have known…

Anakin entered Luke's room, "What's wrong?"

Luke looked up, frowning, "What do you mean?"

Anakin shrugged, "You seem…angry."

"I'm not angry!" Luke snapped.

Anakin put his hands up in defeat, "I didn't say you were! I just said you seemed like it."

Luke calmed down.

Anakin motioned his head towards the door, "Let's go eat."

* * *

><p>Luke pushed the food around his plate aimlessly, not bothering to take a bite.<p>

Anakin looked up at him and smiled sympathetically, "Where were you last night?"

Luke dropped his utensil and snapped his head up to look at Anakin, "What?"

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "I know you snuck out."

Luke shrugged, "I was just taking a walk."

Anakin looked at Luke skeptically, "What _really_ happened?"

"Why do you care?" Luke asked.

Anakin shrugged, "I'm a caring person."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Nothing happened."

"O_kay_." Anakin said, although he didn't really buy it. "But I can't have you sneaking around at night. The other Jedi will think I'm being too easy with you… You don't want to face their wrath."

"I went outside for like five minutes!" Luke defended.

Anakin smiled, not believe Luke did anything wrong however at the same time not wanting to lose him again. The two sat there in silence eating the rest of their meal until they finished. Anakin decided to break the awkward silence once again, "So, what do you do for fun?"

Luke looked up at the Jedi Master strangely, wondering why he cared.

Anakin sighed, "I guess you're in _I-won't-answer-any-of-your-questions_ mode."

Luke cracked a small smile.

"Come on, there has to be _something_." Anakin said again, smiling.

"Well, me and my brother—before we became arch enemies—liked to race around Coronet City."

"You race?" Anakin asked excitedly, sitting up.

Luke smiled at the memory and nodded.

"But all of that soon ended…" he said quietly.

Luke realized that he didn't care what Han thought. He would kill Jared Lamar if it was the last thing he ever did. How could Luke forget everything wrong that Jared has ever done to him?

* * *

><p><strong>I made a new fic called "What's In A Name" about how I imagine Anakin and Padme would pick out names for their kids. The story can correspond with this one, however it is not majorly AU. I am thinking about uploading some seperate fics about how Anakin and Padme would manage their kids if Anakin had not turned to the Dark Side. Of course, it would be a prequel to this particular fic as well.<strong>

**Thanks for all the reviews everyone!**


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

"—and the food was amazing! Winter's guardians definitely made sure that the chef made the best Alderaani dishes. I was sitting by that Raja kid I was telling you about earlier. He had the funniest stories from growing up on Chandrila—"

Padmé smiled.

Leia had just gotten back from her summer camp on Alderaan. She and her mother were sitting in Padmé's office in the Executive Building. Leia had just spent the last hour describing the whole experience.

"And there was even a girl all the way from Mandalore! Actually, there were a lot of people from Mandalore. I didn't know people on the other side of the galaxy came to these functions. There were a lot of twi'leks there too. The majority of the people there were humans and then twi'leks—"

Padmé continued smiling, just watching Leia ramble on about her experiences. "Sounds like you had a lot of fun."

"Oh Mom, it was the best!" Leia said, beaming.

Padmé chuckled, "Well it's getting late. We need to go back home."

"Where's Dad?" Leia asked, following her mother out of the office and down to their transport.

"He was at the Jedi Temple. He'll be home after we get there." Padmé explained.

Once they got home, Padmé suddenly realized that Leia had not met Luke yet. She bit her lip.

"Oh, Leia?" Padmé called out.

"I'm in my room!" Leia yelled.

Padmé went up to Leia's room which was adjacent to Luke's. She found her daughter unpacking her clothes and other belongings that she had taken with her to Alderaan.

"Leia, there's something you should know." Padmé said slowly.

Leia frowned and turned around to face her mother, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Padmé smiled, "Nothing's wrong. You see, when you were gone… Something happened. You see, Anakin, your father…"

Leia's jaw dropped, "What happened to Dad?"

"Nothing! Leia, please." Padmé took a deep breath, "You know how Anakin was working in the Police Department for some time?"

Leia nodded.

"Well, Anakin had stumbled across someone…"

Leia frowned, confused.

"You see, one of the younglings that Anakin was after was…your brother."

Leia felt her mouth go rather dry. Maybe it was hormones, but she felt her eyes water too. What had her mother just said?

"Are you being—are you being serious?" Leia asked.

Padmé nodded, smiling. Leia could tell that there were tears in her own mother's eyes as well. Leia figured that her mother would be the last person to make a joke about something like this. This was real, this was happening.

"Wait, how long has this been going on?" Leia wondered, feeling hurt. "How come no one told me?!"

Padmé sat down on Leia's bed and gestured for Leia to sit down next to her. "Leia, your father never told me either until he brought Luke home. I was _so_ shocked. But you must be careful; Luke doesn't know that we are his parents or that you are his sister. We are waiting to tell him after he got used to us."

Leia frowned and shook her head, "I don't understand. If he doesn't know we are his family, then why does he think he is living here?"

Padmé sighed, "It was his sentence. The Jedi Council told him that he must be with a Jedi at all times because he is skilled in the nature of the Dark Side. So Luke just has to follow Anakin around."

Leia shook her head, unable to believe this. "This is so surreal! I can't believe it…"

Padmé smiled, "Please don't tell Luke yet."

Leia nodded, "Alright. What is he like? When is he coming?"

Padmé smiled at Leia's enthusiasm. Leia had been hurt just as much as Padmé was after Luke was kidnapped. Leia was a witness to the whole ordeal and how it affected her family. Padmé knew that Leia would never forget her brother. His kidnapping would haunt her forever.

"He looks just like Anakin." Padmé smiled, thinking about her son. "I knew he was our Luke just by looking at him. But he's very quiet…"

Leia smiled, "I remember. He's always been so quiet when we were little, remember?"

Padmé nodded, smiling sadly. "I guess that didn't change. I really hoped he would remember us though…"

Leia's smile faltered, "Oh yeah… How come he hasn't?"

Padmé shrugged, "I guess he had gotten so used to other people—"

"Hold on," Leia interrupted, "Where has Luke been all this time? What do you mean he's skilled in the nature of the _Dark Side?"_

Padmé sighed, "He was taken to Corellia. He was kidnapped by a Sith who was able to conceal him very well. I don't know all the details, but I have many theories…"

"Theories about what?" Leia asked.

Padmé stood up and smiled at her daughter, "I'll tell you another time. I think Anakin and Luke are home now."

Leia smiled and stood up, excited to see her long-lost brother.

* * *

><p>Luke lied on top of his bed with his legs crossed and his hands on his stomach. It was night and the Skywalker family was all sleeping.<p>

Luke contemplated his meeting with the youngest Skywalker. She seemed so happy to meet him. Why would she be happy to meet a criminal that would be living with her for the next five years?

He was still fully clothed. He had barely gotten any sleep the past few days. He wasn't sleepy now either, though. Luke was used to not sleeping.

He got up from his bed and glanced at the chrono on his nightstand. It was midnight.

He was thinking quickly. Jared's Force signature grew stronger and stronger by the hour. He had to act fast or he would be cornered. He would have to find Jared before Jared found _him_.

He remembered Anakin's warning from a few days ago, but only for a moment. If the Jedi wanted to punish Luke for helping them out by eliminating one more Sith then he would take it. This was something he _had_ to do.

He exited from his room. _Where would a Jedi Master hide a lightsaber? _Luke wondered.

He entered Padmé's office and searched through the drawers of her desk. Finally, in the last drawer, he found the silver hilt of his lightsaber sticking out from under several datapads.

Luke pulled out his lightsaber. Would anyone hear him if he ignited it real quick? Luke bit his lip.

It felt so good to hold his lightsaber again. It was like an extension of his own body. Slowly, he activated it. A blade of red plasma emitted from the hilt of the lightsaber, giving off that familiar snap-hiss noise. Luke swished the lightsaber around, creating a humming noise.

Luke smiled and deactivated the weapon. He clipped it on to his belt and left the office.

He wandered downstairs to the foyer of the house where the front door was located. He exited the house and rode a turbolift down to the lobby of the building. From there, he would search for his old brother.

As Luke wandered the streets of Coruscant, he suddenly felt nervous. Jared must have been training for months in order to face Luke. Luke hadn't been able to train at all. Jared was also almost a full foot taller than him. He was also three years older than him.

Luke shook his head; _but I am better than him,_ he remembered.

Luke turned and went into a dark alleyway. Luke was almost halfway down to the Under City of Coruscant. The place was still very well-lit; however, all of the signs were advertising bars and nightclubs.

Luke went deeper into the alleyway until it became narrower and darker.

"I knew you would come."

Luke quickly turned to the source of the voice.

"Jared." Luke said in a disgusted tone.

Jared smirked, "I've missed you, little brother."


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Jared walked closer to Luke.

Jared was tall, not _too_ tall, but he was definitely taller than Luke. He looked a lot like his father—pale skin, arched eyebrows, and a long face. However he had dark brown hair rather than his father's jet black, and he had his late mother's warm brown eyes instead of his father's cool grey. It almost made him seem human.

Almost.

Jared reached down from under his usual black robes and took out his lightsaber.

"How's Coruscant?" Jared asked mockingly, "Enjoying the city?"

Luke imitated Jared and took out his own lightsaber. "How did your father react when he learned that you turned me in to the Jedi?"

Jared growled at Luke.

Luke snickered, "I heard you got beat up pretty bad."

Jared stepped closer, "You're going to pay for that."

Luke shrugged, igniting his lightsaber. "We'll see about that."

And like that, it began.

Jared activated his own weapon and lunged at Luke.

They clashed their lightsabers against each other's.

Jared backed Luke up to the wall, hitting at his younger brother's lightsaber profusely.

Luke was able to push Jared back—he knew all of Jared's moves. Jared and Luke were brothers; they had spent years sparring against each other (but just practicing, of course).

This was also not the first duel they had against each other.

Luke remembered the first time all too well… They had been in an abandoned warehouse on Corellia. That duel had changed Luke's life forever—it had determined Luke's resolve to run away. But Luke couldn't think about that right now. Luke had to focus to survive. Jared had grown stronger since last time…

The sparring brothers found themselves outside of the alleyway. They were now on the streets, hitting each other's lightsabers as if no one was there. Luke could hear the people of the Undercity screaming and running out of the way, but he didn't care. He had a fight to win. He had a life to live.

* * *

><p>Mara Jade hides her blaster under several layers of clothes on the bottom of her drawers. She had to hide it from Lenore, who was prone to snoop through Mara's belongings. However, Mara felt that tonight was a good night to take her blaster out from underneath the piles of garments.<p>

The truth was that Mara was a Force sensitive. However, her powers were not nearly as refined as Jared, Luke, or Aria's—Darth Vader's _true_ apprentices. No, she had a very different type of training... Naturally, she knew nothing about the Force or how to wield a lightsaber. So she just stuck with a blaster.

But being a Force sensitive was advantageous in other means.

Mara could somehow _feel_ that Luke was in danger. She remembered how he had visited her in the middle of the night a few days ago and warned her about Jared's arrival to Coruscant.

Even though Mara had not been on Corellia since she was twelve, she still knew Luke well enough to know that he had it in him to go face Jared himself.

And Mara felt the disturbance. Luke was in danger.

Mara got dressed and situated her blaster onto her belt. She went to make sure her second-cousin was sleeping. Then, she left her home.

Mara ran through the crowded streets of the city-planet. She thought frantically, _where would Luke be?_

She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. But before she could continue her search, a hand clasped over her mouth and she was dragged into a nearby alley.

* * *

><p>Luke and Jared were all over the Undercity, even making their way to The Works, the industrial part of Coruscant. They found themselves in a factory of some sort. There were several types of transportations vehicles. It must have been a manufactory of large spaceships.<p>

There were scarcely any sentient beings in the building. Everything was being handled by droids and large-scale machines.

Jared repeatedly hit Luke's lightsaber with his own in fast paces.

Luke struggled to keep his posture. Jared had indeed grown stronger.

Luke stalled until he could catch Jared off his guard and Force-push him into a large metal pillar.

Jared quickly regained his stance, but Luke had disappeared.

Jared looked around feverishly, expecting a surprise attack from his younger brother.

As anticipated, Luke jumped off of a large conveyor belt that was used to transfer ship parts from one part of the factory to another. Luke landed right behind Jared and aimed for his back.

Jared quickly spun around and blocked the attempt on his life, and then they resumed clashing their lightsabers against each other's.

* * *

><p>Mara struggled away from her captor. They were in a very dark alley. She could barely make out the two figures that stood before her.<p>

"_Mara Jade?_" One of the voices said incredulously.

Mara gasped, "Elan? What are you doing here?"

Mara stared dumbfounded at the boy in front of her. A boy she used to know. He had changed so much. He had gotten so much taller. Of course, he was three years older than Mara, and Mara hadn't seen him in two years.

Mara scowled at him, not understanding what he was doing here and why he was preventing her from helping her friend.

Elan opened his mouth to say something, but he was prevented by the second person in the stepped closer into the light and Mara gasped again.

"_Aria?_" She whispered.

Aria ignored the young girl and faced Elan. "We don't have time for a family reunion, Elan. We're here for a reason." She said in a stern voice.

Elan nodded.

Mara studied Aria. She, too, had changed from since she last saw her. Aria was now fifteen. Her black hair had gotten longer, reaching her half-way down her front. Mara always admired Aria's hair. It was so thick and straight. She had a completely serious look on her face. Her natural blush had disappeared, leaving her face seem ghostly pale. Her usual calm, grey eyes turned to a shade of glowing yellow.

"Mara, where is Luke?" She asked, getting straight to the point.

Mara scoffed, "Like I'm going to tell you."

Aria raised an eyebrow, "Your life depends on it."

Suddenly, Elan took out a blaster and pointed it at Mara's face.

Mara felt her mouth go dry, "I honestly don't know where he is. I was searching for him when you took me."

Aria rolled her eyes, "Bind her." She told Elan.

Elan obeyed and took out a pair of binders and secured Mara.

She didn't even try to resist as the older boy secured the cold metal around her wrists.

Aria paced around Mara, observing her. "Now, you have one chance to tell us the truth. Where can I find Luke?"

"I told you, I don't know!" Mara cried.

Aria shook her head, disappointed. "You were warned."

She took her lightsaber out and started twirling it in her hand, "I'm going to go kill your friend. And then I'll be back for you."

Mara pursed her lips. Aria gave Elan a stern look and he nodded.

Aria left the alley.

Mara hung her head down in defeat and stared at her toes. Now there was nothing she could do.

* * *

><p>Luke learned from watching his opponent that he would be much more successful if he just pushed Jared around with the Force, rather than fight him with his lightsaber. He realized that Jared was weak when it came to telekinetic skill.<p>

Luke used that against him.

Jared swung his red lightsaber at him with fierce momentum. Luke quickly blocked it with his own weapon. As Jared's weapon clashed with his own, he pushed Jared off and sent him flying to the other side of the room.

Jared regained his posture, fuming with annoyance and hatred for his rival.

Luke and Jared ran towards each other, their lightsabers in their hands, ready to collide with one another. But they never made impact. It was as if Luke ran into a strong force field that sent him flying into the other direction. The same thing happened to Jared. They both lost their lightsabers in the toss.

Luke sat up, completely muddled. What had just happened? There was no way Jared could have thrown both Luke and himself like that.

Luke stood up and searched for his lightsaber on the ground. He didn't find his lightsaber, though. He found a pair of black boots. His eyes followed the black boots up to the person donning them. Then he stood face-to-face with Aria.

He was outnumbered.

Aria held both Luke and Jared's lightsabers in her hand.

Jared stood up shakily and made his way over to his younger sister.

"Aria, what do you think you're doing? I almost had him!"

"_Shut up_." Aria said coldly, not even glancing at her eldest brother.

"Aria—"

But before Jared could finish the sentence, he was sent flying to a wall on the other side of the room with a push. Once his back hit the wall, he slid down in unconsciousness.

Luke looked at Aria, horrified. If this was how Aria would treat someone on her own team, then how was she going to handle Luke?

Luke reached down to his belt to get his lightsaber. _Oh yeah,_ he thought, _Aria has it._

Aria clipped the two captured lightsabers onto her belt. Luke now saw that she had three altogether, including her own. After Aria removed her hand from her belt, her cape fell over the weapons, concealing them from view.

Luke looked back up to her face. "I see you've gotten stronger with the Force. I knew that couldn't have been Jared. He's not that good."

Aria rolled her eyes, "Are you trying to kiss up? You know you are defenseless so you want to soften me up?" Aria let out a dark crackle.

Luke sighed, "You can't kill me. You don't have the guts."

Aria's eyes almost fell from her sockets, "I don't have the _guts?_ What is this? Why do you all _doubt me?_"

Luke suppressed a laugh.

Aria shook her head, narrowing her eyes. "It's always you and Jared." She said quietly, "That's all Dad ever cared about. You and Jared. Dad knew that someday his apprentice would be _you_ or _Jared_. But me? No one ever paid any attention to _me_. It was like I didn't even _exist_."

Luke just stared at his older sister.

Aria shook her head some more, "But it's all different now. I swear to you, someday it will all be different. I will be the most powerful Sith ever! Unfortunately, you won't be around to see it…"

Luke almost wanted to laugh, "Yeah right. You don't have half the amount of power I do. I'll always be better than you. Both you _and _Jared."

Aria let out an evil laugh.

_She's mental,_ Luke thought.

Aria ceased laughing, overhearing her brother's comment. She balled her fists at her sides, "Can't you tell that _no one_ likes you?! You have no family! You're a nobody! We don't _want_ you in our lives! _No one_ wants you in their lives! You have _nowhere_ to go! Your own best friend _hates_ you! He never cared to help, did he?"

Luke felt the blood rush up to his head. _Now _he was angry. Very angry.

"You're just jealous because your father likes me more than his own daughter!" Luke shot back.

Aria cracked a mad grin, "At least my father didn't just dump on anyone's doorstep. Admit it, Luke, you came from nowhere and you're _going nowhere._"

Luke shook his head, "Whatever. You're just jealous. It's impossible for you to do anything but dwell on the past."

Aria took out her lightsaber and angled it against him, "I'm going to kill you, Luke Nobody."

Luke backed away from Aria, who stepped closer.

Luke took another step back. It all happened so fast. All of a sudden, Luke heard a honk from his left. He snapped his head towards the noise and saw a blinding light coming from a fast moving vehicle headed his way.

Aria saw Luke flash through her eyes. One second he was there, the second he was gone.

He was just run over.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Mara was fuming as she watched Elan pace around in front of her.

He stopped and stared down at her. She felt uneasy under his gaze, "_What?_"

Elan crouched down in front of her so that his face was now level with hers; he looked her in the eye.

"Are you crazy?"

Mara looked away, but Elan grabbed the collar of her shirt and she yelped, looking back at him.

"What do you think you're doing, Jade?"

She glowered at him, knowing where this little lecture was going.

"There's a _reason_ you were moved to Coruscant." Elan said, pronouncing his words slowly. "You have a _job_ here, you can't let your feelings for your friends get in the way!"

Mara frowned, pouting at him. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Elan didn't back down, "Listen very closely, Mara. It's not unusual that those three are fighting again—Vader was _expecting_ it. You can't get caught in the middle of it, do you understand me?"

Mara looked away.

"Do you understand me?" Elan said louder.

"_Yes_."

Elan stood up, "Good. And don't forget it. Vader will have your head."

Mara didn't dare look at him as he unlocked the binders from her wrists. She stood up slowly, patting the dirt off her clothing.

"What are you going to do about Aria?" Mara asked, "She said she'll be back."

Elan shook his head, "She won't, I know her."

The two stood at awkward silence once again. Elan sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're like a sister to me; I don't want to see you get hurt—by anyone, Vader _or_ your feelings."

Mara looked up at him, "We have very different paths, Elan. I want Luke to win."

Elan shrugged, smirking. "And I want Aria. See you around Jade."

He just left into the dirty crowd of lower Coruscant, never to be seen again.

Mara shook her head, leaning up against the wall. Her emotions were getting the better of her—something that should _not_ be happening.

How could she have been so stupid to try to help Luke? It's not like she would be much help, and she'd only get in trouble with Darth Vader for trying to meddle in the natural process of Sith apprenticeship.

She slid back down to the floor and buried her head in her arms.

* * *

><p>Aria had been standing in the same spot for at least five minutes. She was unable to move. Did she just witness Luke's death?<p>

She heard a grunt from nearby. Jared had regained consciousness and got up.

Jared stood muddled for a moment, trying to remember where he was and what he was doing. He caught a glimpse of his sister and ran towards her immediately.

"Aria, what the hell happened?"

Aria didn't look at her brother. "I killed him." She said quietly.

Jared gaped at her. "What?"

Aria turned to face Jared. She glared at him, "I _said,_ I _killed _him!"

Jared shook his head furiously, "You weren't supposed to kill him! Father wanted him alive!"

"If he wanted him alive, he would have come himself. I don't care though. I did what benefits me the most. I killed him." Aria answered calmly.

Jared just stared at Aria with his eyes bulging out, "You're going to be in so much trouble!"

Aria shrugged, as calm as a killik, and left the building.

Jared stared at Aria. There was no way she could have killed him. Aria wasn't _that_ good. Or was she?

Jared shook his head, cursing himself for not paying more attention to his sister and what she may be capable of.

* * *

><p>The truth was that Luke wasn't really run over. He heard the enormous vehicle coming. He knew that he had less than a second to think his plan through.<p>

He faked his death.

He figured that if Aria thought he was dead, she would pass the message off to Jared as well. Then he would be free of them forever.

Luke had grabbed onto the fast-moving vehicle. It transported him all the way out of the factory and out of The Works.

Luckily, The Works was near the Senate District on Coruscant. The vehicle was obviously not headed towards the Senate, but Luke would be able to just jump off as it left the industrial district.

And that's what he did. Luke waited until the vehicle was near a building that Luke could jump onto and he let go. Luke landed on his feet, crouched. He got up and dusted his clothes off. He walked out to the street and made his way back to 500 Republica.

On his way, he accidently bumped into a very tall man. "Sorry" Luke said distractedly. Luke was just about to walk away until he looked up at the man and saw that it was Anakin Skywalker himself.

"Oh…" Luke muttered.

Anakin shook his head, a mixture of disappointment and amusement shown on his face.

Anakin began walking in the opposite direction. Luke tried to catch up with him, having to run to keep up with Anakin's long strides.

"I wasn't running away." Luke explained, "I promise."

Anakin nodded and stopped outside of a café.

"Are you mad?" Luke asked uncertainly.

"No, I'm Anakin."

Luke smiled.

"Just don't do that again. Padmé was worried."

Luke frowned, "Worried? Why would she be worried?"

Anakin sighed, "Want to sit down?" He pointed towards the café.

Luke frowned, "It's like 0300 hours, isn't it?"

Anakin shrugged, and the two followed a droid to a table indoors.

"Can we have two Jawa Juices?"

"Right on it." The droid replied and hovered away.

"Jawa Juice?" Luke asked.

Anakin smiled, "It reminds me of home."

Luke rolled his eyes, suppressing a smile. He was in no mood to smile. The droid came back out with the drinks and then left again.

"So," Anakin started, taking a sip of his drink, "Why did you leave _this_ time?"

Luke shrugged.

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"I went to…take a walk…" Luke said slowly.

"You went to pick a fight." Anakin translated.

"He was waiting for me! If I didn't go to him, he'd come to me!"

Anakin nodded, "And?"

Luke just shrugged.

"_Did _you fight? I noticed you took back your lightsaber…"

Luke bit his lip.

Anakin just chuckled, "Since when does a little boy like you know how to duel with a lightsaber?"

Luke shrugged, "I've learned from an early age."

Anakin smiled at Luke, almost admirably. Luke didn't understand why.

"Are you gonna take me back to the Temple because I violated your rules about weapons and—"

"No, I'm on your side." Anakin claimed, "I would have done exactly the same thing. I don't agree with it, and I don't want you to do it _ever_ again. Next time, come to me."

Luke looked down at the table and nodded.

"So are Jared and Aria related to each other?"

Luke nodded, "They're brother and sister."

Anakin nodded, "And this Vader guy is their father?"

Luke nodded again.

"What happened to their mother?" Anakin wondered.

Luke shrugged, "She died when I was too young to remember it."

"Oh." Anakin said.

Luke played with the straw of his juice while Anakin just sat there, contemplating. _This would be a good time to get more information out of him_, he thought, _while we are all sitting down and comfortable._

"So… How is your relationship with them?" Anakin asked.

Luke just stared at Anakin, "Are you serious? That's like the millionth time you've asked me that."

Anakin shrugged, "Well you could help a little by talking more."

Luke sighed and looked around the café, "Do you always come here in the middle of the night?"

Anakin chuckled lightly, "No… All of a sudden I hear a _lightsaber_. I know Leia doesn't have one, so it has to be you."

Luke smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

Anakin nodded, "Speaking of Leia, how do you like her so far?"

Luke frowned, "I've only known her a few days… She's cool."

"Is she cooler than Aria?" Anakin asked.

Luke almost spit out his Juice, "Leia and Aria are on two different ends of the spectrum. I wouldn't even compare them."

Anakin smiled, "Han Solo told me about you a little bit. How come Jared and Aria have their mother's last name and you have the Sith's?"

Luke flinched slightly at the mention of Han's name. "It's kind of complicated. I guess back then, she didn't want anyone to know who their father was… I'm not sure."

Anakin nodded, "Are you on fair terms with him?"

"I don't really talk to him, if that's what you mean."

Anakin smiled, "I guess. But you learned everything you know from him, didn't you?"

Luke nodded, "He used to be a Jedi."

Anakin's eyebrows skyrocketed, "Seriously? I don't remember anyone named Vader…"

Luke shook his head, "He left when he was like my age or something. He changed his name."

Anakin nodded, frowning slightly, "How long did you live with him?"

Luke shrugged, "Probably right after I was born."

Anakin frowned, "What happened to your parents?"

Luke shook his head, "Not sure. I never knew them."

Anakin frowned; he had hoped he would know a little more. Luke acted as though he didn't even care.

"Haven't you ever wanted to know who they were?" Anakin asked.

Luke shrugged, "Well, I told you, remember? I already know. I think my mother was blonde, so that's where I get my blonde from."

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"And no one knows who my father is. She doesn't even know. She slept around and thus became pregnant."

Anakin choked on his juice, "Why do you hold your mother in such low esteem?"

Luke grinned, "I don't know. I made that up, honestly. I guess they just didn't want me."

Anakin frowned, "That's a lie. I'm sure they did want you."

Luke shrugged, "It's okay though, I got used to it. I mean, it happens to a lot of people so it's no big deal."

"Who would tell you that they didn't want you?" Anakin asked, disbelieved.

Luke shrugged, "My dad, I guess. I don't care; it was so long ago…"

"Why would the Sith tell you they didn't want you? Why didn't he tell you the truth?" Anakin asked incredulously.

"That _is_ the truth."

"No it's not! Your parents did want you!"

"Wait, do you know them?" Luke asked, sitting up. Why else would the Jedi make such a big deal about this?

Anakin sighed and looked down at his half-empty juice. "I thought you said you didn't care?"

Luke shrugged, "I…don't…"

Anakin shrugged, "Fine. Maybe I do know, though."

"You do?" Luke asked excitedly.

"Yeah, but you don't care so I'm not going to tell you."

Luke sat back in his chair and folded his arms. He wouldn't lose his pride to the Jedi, even if it meant finding out who his parents were. "Fine."

Anakin slowly took a sip of his juice, eyeing Luke closely.

Luke was watching Anakin, "So… Are you like friends with them?"

"I thought you didn't care." Anakin said quickly.

"I don't." Luke claimed halfheartedly.

"I _do_ know your parents." Anakin began, "They were very hurt when you disappeared one day. It saddened your father very much…"

"Does my father even know I exist?" Luke asked, remembering what Aria had told him earlier that night.

"Of course." Anakin replied calmly, "Luke, _I_ am your father."


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Luke stared at Anakin dumbfounded for what felt like an hour, but was only really a minute.

"_What?_" Luke almost wanted to laugh. He thought that maybe the Jedi Master was playing a joke on him.

That would be a very cruel joke.

Anakin just sighed and looked down.

"It sounded for a second like you just said that _you_…"

"I am." Anakin said calmly.

Luke shook his head, unable to process what was going on. "That's not true…"

Anakin shook his head, "Search your feelings, you know it be true."

Luke shook his head forcefully, "That's impossible."

Anakin just looked at Luke, his eyes as sincere as ever.

"You already have a kid my age!" Luke claimed, although not too confident.

"Leia is your twin."

Luke almost exploded, "_I don't have a twin!_"

Anakin nodded, "Yes you do."

"Why am I supposed to believe you?" Luke asked, completely staggered.

"The DNA samples we took from you when you were arrested matched mine."

Luke scoffed, "That's bantha shit."

"I don't think your mother would approve of that language."

"_Mother?_" Luke repeated incredulously, "_What_ mother? _Padmé?_ What in the _nine Sith hells_…"

Anakin took a deep breath, "I didn't tell her at all about you coming to stay with us. All I said was to 'get Luke's old room ready' and of course she replied by saying that she 'doesn't like it when people use that room' but complied anyway. Then, when she saw you, she _immediately_ knew you were her son before I even _said _anything. Why do you think she gave you such an unexpected greeting? And why do you think Leia was so happy to meet you?"

Luke was just speechless, staring at Anakin.

"Don't you see?" Anakin began, trying to explain this to his son, "Vader kidnapped you when you were little, and I'm sure has done a lot of things to make sure you didn't remember us at all."

Luke just looked away from Anakin. This was getting too weird for him.

"I know it's going to take time to get used to, and I know that you've lived your whole life thinking we didn't want you, but that was just a lie! A lie to make you hate us."

Luke just stared at a nearby table. He tried to distract himself. Three people on a nearby table were playing a game of sabacc…

"Luke you have no idea what this means to both me and your mother…and even Leia!"

Luke raised an eyebrow, looking back at Anakin.

"I'm not exaggerating when I say Padmé cried every day for years. Sometimes I'd see her crying for no reason, and I knew she was thinking of you." Anakin said with hurt in his voice.

Luke felt a rush of emotions that he was trying to suppress. Confusion, anger, hurt…

"And Leia," Anakin continued, "she lost her best friend. You two were inseparable. What's worse is that she witnessed the whole thing that happened to you. She was completely traumatized."

Luke let out a deep breath. Was this really happening?

"And me… Luke, I searched for you for months… I lost so much hope. I always looked at the other dads and thought to myself… _what would it be like…having a son?_"

All of a sudden, Luke pushed his chair back and stood up. Without saying another word, he left Anakin sitting at the table and went out the door.

Anakin quickly stood up and followed behind, throwing some credits on the table for their juices.

"Where are you going?" Anakin asked once he got outside.

"Away from _you_." Luke replied curtly.

Anakin sighed, "Luke, could you please listen? We never wanted to give you away. That's the biggest lie ever! That Sith who you call your _father_ is not a true father, he never loved you. He never treated you like a son, he treated you like—"

But before Anakin could finish, Luke stopped and turned to face Anakin. "Look, you don't know me. You know_nothing_ about me. Stop pretending like you know me, because you don't."

Anakin sighed. It would be useless to say anything else tonight. Luke was obviously worn-out. "Do you want to go home?"

Luke frowned.

"I mean _my_ home."

Luke sighed. _Oh well. _He nodded, not saying another word for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>Anakin crawled back into bed, hoping he wouldn't wake his sleeping wife.<p>

Too late.

Padmé was already awake, unable to sleep once she found out her son wasn't home. She was just lying in bed. She groggily got up, "Did you find him?"

Anakin nodded.

"Was he okay?" Padmé asked.

Anakin bit his lip. _Not really, he was in a duel with two psycho Sith siblings…_

"He was fine."

Padmé nodded and lied back down on the bed.

Anakin sat next to her, "I told him"

"Told him what?" Padmé asked sleepily.

"That I was his father."

Suddenly, Padmé sat up, not sleepy anymore. "Why? I wanted us to tell him together."

"Trust me," Anakin shook his head, "This way was better."

Padmé got up from the bed, wanting to go see her son. Anakin grabbed her arm and pulled her back in.

"Don't, Padmé. He's really…upset."

Padmé frowned at Anakin.

Anakin shook his head, "You should have seen it… We were talking and… I don't know. He kept referring to the Sith as his father… I couldn't just sit there."

Padmé rubbed his back, smiling at him sympathetically until a thought struck her.

"Vader, right?"

Anakin nodded absent-mindedly.

"What's his first name?"

Anakin shrugged, "Gee, I don't know, Darth? He's a Sith Lord, Padme."

Padme rolled her eyes, "No need to be sarcastic."

"So I asked him what he knew about his real parents," Anakin continued after a pause in the conversation, "He said he doesn't really know a lot, except for that they didn't want him."

Padmé covered his mouth, "Who would tell a three year-old that his parents didn't want him?"

Anakin shook his head.

Padmé pouted, her heart aching for her son. "He doesn't deserve that… don't you remember? He was always so shy… He had Leia do most of his talking. He didn't talk to anyone who wasn't his family…"

"Don't even remind me." Anakin said, waving his hand, "I don't even want to think about what went on."

Padmé sighed, "Continue?"

"He didn't believe me at all. He spent five minutes just staring at me before he claimed that I was playing a mean joke on him."

"But isn't that to be expected?" Padmé supposed.

Anakin felt really weird. It was a mixture of anxiety, confusion, hurt, anger, and contempt. He didn't know _what_ to expect when he told his son the truth. But then again, did he really expect Luke to jump up and down in excitement?

Anakin lied down properly on the bed, "I don't know… I don't want to talk about it."

Padmé kissed Anakin on the cheek and laid her head on his chest, "It's almost dawn... Get some rest."

Anakin nodded and wrapped an arm around Padmé. The comfort from his wife always soothed him and he needed that to go to sleep after a long night. But then again, Luke must've had a longer night…

* * *

><p><strong>I<strong> **know a lot of you are wondering why Anakin never catches Luke when he tries to run away, but that will be explained in a later chapter. A LOT of things will be explained later, especially Mara's role in this whole fic. But I'll leave you with some advice: ****She is not an entirely honest friend...**

**The story may seem to go slow for a few chapters. But after Luke adjusts to the whole "being a Skywalker" thing, there will be a lot more action. I hope you guys all enjoy!**

**Thanks for all of the feedback! Updates shall be frequent from now on until the end of August. Why does summer have to end?**


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Luke couldn't even _think_ about sleeping. He completely forgot that he had sparred with his older brother and then faked his death in front of his sister.

Were they really his brother and sister though?

Luke always knew that he wasn't really related to Jared and Aria. But when Luke came to stay with the Skywalkers, he never anticipated that they thought he was their long-lost son. They obviously made a mistake.

Was this the reason that he was sentenced to spend five years here? Was he ever really sentenced at all? Was it all just a ruse?

Luke closed his eyes really hard. His head hurt and he didn't want to think about this. He eyed the chronometer. There was no point in going to sleep anymore.

He had a hard time thinking straight that morning.

All he could think about was the news that Anakin broke out to him barely a few hours ago.

Luke was definitely not a Skywalker.

So what if Luke held some of the same physical features as Anakin? Blonde hair and blue eyes were a somewhat common characteristic among a lot of humans…

And then there was Leia… It was as if Anakin just totally made that up. Twins? Luke didn't have a twin! Wouldn't Luke know if he had a twin or not?

Just as Luke was about to open the door to leave his room, he found Anakin right outside of his door.

"Oh, sorry." Anakin smiled, "I was just going to ask you if you wanted to go to the Jedi Temple with me."

Luke just stared up at Anakin.

"I'll take that as a yes." Anakin assumed.

* * *

><p>The two were in Anakin's speeder. Luke was just staring out the window.<p>

Anakin looked at Luke nervously, "So…"

Luke turned to look at Anakin.

"What's…up?" Anakin said slowly.

Luke exhaled and looked back out at the window.

"Look, I know that you're still mad at me, but can we soon look back at this and laugh, right?" Anakin said, giving an awkward smile.

Luke didn't answer so Anakin just went back to focusing on his flying.

"I didn't mean to tell you so suddenly, but I knew if I waited any longer it would have been worse…and it just kind of came out…" Anakin said as he piloted the speeder.

"Wait, you were serious?" Luke asked, looking back at Anakin.

Anakin frowned and glanced at Luke quickly before returning his attention to his flying, "What, of course! You thought I was joking?"

"But that's not even possible. You're like, twenty years old."

Anakin nervously chuckled, "What? No I'm not…"

"You see, I always thought Leia was adopted or something." Luke continued.

"What? Why would we adopt someone? It was hard enough having our own children."

"Is that why you gave one away?" Luke wondered.

"_What?" _Anakin almost shouted, "I_ told_ you that wasn't true!"

Luke shrugged, "It's okay, I don't care."

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"I'd ask you the same." Luke replied calmly.

Anakin sighed and shook his head.

Luke rolled his eyes, "Do you want me to keep this argument going, or would you feel better if I just pretended to accept it?"

Anakin frowned, "Are you always like this?"

Luke shrugged, "Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not I like the person I'm talking to." Luke said darkly.

Anakin quickly became offended.

He parked the speeder and got out without saying another word.

Luke rolled his eyes and got out to follow him.

* * *

><p>Anakin and Luke ran into Obi-Wan in the hallway.<p>

"Ah, Anakin, good, you're here." Obi-Wan said, "Hello, Luke." He said politely.

Luke just glared at the older Jedi in return.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat, "Well, I was, er, telling the Padawans that you would come help them with their lightsaber techniques, Anakin. Would you? I would like to discuss an important matter with Master Yoda."

Anakin nodded, "Okay, Luke could you follow Master Kenobi? He will, um, escort you to…someone else."

Luke just glared at Anakin as he tried to get rid of him and then followed Obi-Wan.

"So, Luke, what is the matter?" Obi-Wan asked as they made their way down to the High Council Chamber where Obi-Wan hoped to find Master Yoda.

"What matter?" Luke asked dully.

"There is obviously a matter." Obi-Wan insisted.

"It doesn't matter." Luke replied.

Obi-Wan chuckled, "I believe I sense a rift between you and Master Skywalker."

Luke shrugged, "That's his deal, not mine."

"I thought you two were beginning to get along?"

"Yeah," Luke rolled his eyes, "when hell freezes over."

Obi-Wan understood the slang phrase as a _no_. "I guess not. Well, he deeply cares about you, if that makes any difference."

"Not really."

"Luke," Obi-Wan sighed, "you probably don't understand now. But soon, when Anakin…"

There was a pause. Obi-Wan realized that he might just give too much away without meaning to.

"Soon what? What were you going to say?" Luke urged, "When he tells me he's my father?"

Obi-Wan head snapped in the direction of Luke, "He told you?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "Is that like the biggest joke or what? And you're playing along too, I bet."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "It's not a joke!"

"Well it's stupid and I don't care. This whole thing is stupid."

Obi-Wan swallowed hard, "Luke—"

"Look, Master Kenobi, I appreciate your efforts but it's unnecessary because _I don't care_." Luke said.

"You never let me continue!" Obi-Wan cried.

"I don't care." Luke said obnoxiously.

Obi-Wan sighed, "Luke…"

But before Obi-Wan could continue, Yoda came out of nowhere.

"Master Kenobi! I have been expecting you. Talk to you, I must. Privately."

Obi-Wan nodded. He turned to offer Luke to wait until he got back, but Luke was already gone. Obi-Wan sighed and followed Master Yoda into the High Council Chamber.

"Dangerous, Young Skywalker has become." Yoda commented.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Not become… I think we were just blind to what he has always been."

* * *

><p>Luke found himself in an empty room.<p>

"Who are you?" A voice asked behind Luke.

Luke turned and saw a girl Padawan, probably just a couple years older than himself.

"Are you a Padawan?" The girl asked uncertainly, "I don't think I've met you before."

Luke scoffed, "That's because I am definitely, one hundred percent, _not_ a Padawan."

The girl nodded slowly, frowning at Luke. "Who are you, then?"

Luke narrowed his eyes at the girl, "Your biggest nightmare."

The girl raised an eyebrow at him skeptically, "Okay…"

Luke eyed the girl closely. She seemed eerily familiar. Luke shook his head; it was probably nothing.

Suddenly, another boy Padawan walked into the room, "Hanalei, did you—Who are _you?_"

Luke rolled his eyes, "That seems to be the question of the hour. Did you two sneak away for some alone time?"

The boy looked at Luke awestruck, "Excuse me?"

Luke smiled evilly at the two Padawans, "I'll just be leaving you two alone then…"

The boy looked completely frazzled, "It's not like that at all! Hold on, I know who you are…"

Luke raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"You're that Sith apprentice who has to follow Master Skywalker around everywhere, aren't you?"

Luke held his hands up in defeat, "You caught me!"

The boy scoffed, "I can't believe they let scum like you in our sacred Temple."

"Damp down your power core!" Luke said sardonically, "I'm unarmed. There's nothing I can possibly do to your _sacred Temple_."

The boy rolled his eyes.

"Jerome!" Hanalei warned.

"Jerome, is that your name?" Luke asked in an obnoxious tone.

Jerome looked at him angrily.

"Did I make wittle Jewome angwy?" Luke said in a baby-like voice.

Jerome took in a deep breath, "I refuse to allow myself to stoop down to your level."

Luke shrugged, "That's why you're weak."

Jerome looked taken aback, "How dare you—"

Luke smiled at the boy.

Jerome shook his head, catching himself in time. "You're pathetic."

Luke suddenly got angry, "What did you call me?"

"I said you're pathetic. You're a nobody." Jerome criticized.

Luke shook his head dangerously. It was one thing when Aria called him a nobody. But this Padawan that he barely knew? Padawans were weak. _They_ were the nobodies. Their masters refused to teach them the _real_ power of the Force.

"You're the one that is pathetic." Luke replied, seething.

Jerome laughed and pulled out his lightsaber, "You want to fight me, Sith?"

Luke reached for his own weapon. _Oh yeah, Aria has it…_

Jerome laughed, "What? A Sith with no lightsaber?"

Luke shrugged, "I have one, but I don't need it to defeat a puny Jedi like _you_."

Jerome opened his mouth to say something, but then collapsed to the floor, clutching at his neck.

Hanalei shrieked and fell to her knees next to the boy, "Jerome!"

Luke made no outward appearance that he was doing anything rather than the fact that his hand was formed into a tight fist at his side.

Jerome was grabbing on to his neck, but there was nothing there. He was being Force-choked.

Suddenly, the door opened and Anakin Skywalker ran in.

Luke quickly released his fist and Jerome collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily.

Anakin looked horrified, "What happened? I heard a scream—"

Hanalei tried to help Jerome into a sitting position. Then she pointed angrily at Luke, "It was _him_, Master!"

Anakin stared at Luke, unable to fathom what had just occurred.

Luke stood there fuming, "It was _him!_ _He_ pulled out his _lightsaber!_ What was I supposed to do?"

Anakin shook his head, "Wait a minute, you _Force-choked_ him? How in the nine Sith hells did you ever learn to do _that?_"

Luke shrugged, "That's beside the point!"

At this point, Jerome stood up shakily, "M-Master, he's dangerous!"

Luke's jaw fell open, "Did you forget that _you're_ the one that pulled out the _lightsaber?!"_

Anakin took a deep breath, "Jerome, Hanalei, please report back to the training room. Luke, come with me."

Hanalei helped Jerome out of the room and then Anakin grabbed Luke's hand and led him to an empty briefing room.

"Luke, what in the world…?" Anakin began, unable to think clearly.

Luke folded his arms across his chest, "He took out his weapon! I was merely defending myself from that earworm!"

Anakin shook his head, "This is a side of you I never knew existed…"

Luke scoffed, "Did you not hear me the first three times?! He had a _lightsaber!_"

Anakin exhaled, "That's still no reason to Force-choke someone! I didn't learn to pull that stunt until I was a Jedi Knight, during the Clone Wars!"

Luke just frowned at Anakin, "Congratulations?"

Anakin shook his head, not amused. "Don't do that ever again."

Luke groaned and followed Anakin down the hall, "So are you saying that he's not getting into _any_ trouble?"

Anakin sighed as he walked out to the speeder. Once they were in the vehicle, Anakin turned to Luke. "Look at it from one of the other Jedi's point of view: you're a Sith apprentice that just Force-choked one of the Padawans. Frankly, they're not going to care who started it."

Luke snorted and folded his arms.

Anakin started the speeder and then began flying towards his home.

After a while, they got stuck in Coruscant traffic. Anakin sighed. He looked towards Luke who was simply staring out the window. He decided to try to reconcile with him, "Are you still mad at me?"

Luke scoffed, "Yes! That kid needs to be, like, expelled from the Order or something!"

Anakin shook his head, "No, I'm not talking about that—"

"I mean," Luke continued, "He was going to pull a weapon out on an unarmed person. What kind of treachery is that? He's obviously not fit to be a Jedi!"

Anakin chuckled, "Alright, alright. I understand that you're angry about your little fiasco today but that wasn't what I was talking about."

Luke just sighed and looked out the window again.

"So, are you still upset?" Anakin asked again.

"Well, I don't know. But I still hold true to what I said earlier. I mean, you don't want me living with you, trust me. What if I pull another stunt like what I did at the Temple?" Luke warned.

Anakin rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, I have done many bad things in my life." Luke informed.

Anakin nodded, "I think I can fix you."

"You can fix a mirror after it's broke," Luke said, "but you can still see all the cracks in the reflection."

Anakin smiled, "Well, the first thing we'll fix is your grammar."

"I actually just choose to speak that way." Luke said.

Anakin laughed.

Luke didn't know if he wanted to laugh with him, or if he wanted to be angry. He had a hard time getting in tune with his emotions. Luke's pride prevented him from actually trying to 'bond' with his 'father'. Luke just frowned, "But I was being serious. I'm a bad person."

Anakin's laughing slowed down and he nodded, "Of course you are."

Luke just sighed and stared out the window. A thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Last night…you said that you heard my lightsaber…" Luke began.

Anakin nodded, concentrating on the traffic.

"Why didn't you stop me if you knew I was going to sneak out again?" Luke wondered.

Anakin sighed, "I was going to... Really, I was… First of all, you're doing a good job at hiding your Force signature from me…"

Luke frowned, "I am?"

Anakin sighed, "One of the reasons I never found you all those years ago. I think the Sith used the Dark Side to hide you from me. Now, you have gotten so used to shielding yourself in the Dark Side, you do it without realizing it."

Luke frowned.

"Second of all," Anakin began, "when I heard you sneaking out… I mean, I tried to find you. But like I said, you're good at shielding yourself from me. I wasn't really able to sense you until I felt that you were in danger."

Luke smiled, "I thought you were a _Jedi._"

Anakin frowned, "I am!"

Luke shrugged, "I guess you slow down once you hit middle age…"

Anakin's eyes bulged out and he turned to face Luke, "I'm thirty-five!"

Luke grinned, "I wouldn't go around telling people that if I were you."

Anakin chuckled, shaking his head menacingly.

Luke just went back to staring out the window.

Anakin thought for a moment. Maybe Luke was purposely trying to act mean that morning. If Luke honestly didn't like Anakin, he wouldn't be joking around with him now. Right?


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

Before Anakin left on his mission, he made sure that he left Luke with a lot of work to do so he wouldn't get bored and cause trouble.

He gave him homework.

Luke detested the idea of staying home all day working on homework. To make it worse, Padmé made him do his homework next to her at the kitchen table because she wanted to, ah, _spend time with him_.

Luke actually wanted to ask Anakin if he could go along with him on his mission. Anakin had given him many chances to request to go along. However, Luke stuck to his pride and never asked. Luke didn't want to seem like he _wanted_ to be a Jedi or anything.

Luke sighed. Spending a few days going on an exclusive Jedi assignment seemed much more fascinating than doing _homework_.

So that was how Luke was spending his day. He was in a Jedi's house, sitting at the kitchen table next to a Senator, and doing homework.

If someone came up to him a few months ago and told him that this is what Luke would be doing at this moment, then Luke would have probably punch that person for being ridiculous.

Luke couldn't concentrate on his assignments. All he could think about was how his power was being squandered right now.

Luke hated to admit it, but when he was with his father—Darth Vader—he would actually do important things. Anakin and Padmé could never know this, though. They might actually kick him out if they learned about all of the treacheries Luke had committed while working for his father's secret organization.

Luke shook his head; he shouldn't be thinking about that. He gave up that life when he ran away. There was no turning back now. Especially now…

Padmé was sitting at the table, too, doing her own Senate work. She looked up at him and smiled, "How much more do you have?"

Luke was thrown out of his thoughts, "Oh, um, not much."

Padmé smiled at him and he resumed his work. He needed to finish to get the hell out of there. Padmé was nice and all, but she still freaked him out sometimes with her niceness.

Leia came into the kitchen and went up to her mother, "Mom, she's going to be here any minute now. We're just going to finish the project up in my room."

Padmé smiled, "That's fine."

Leia smiled at Luke and then left the kitchen.

"What project?" Luke wondered.

"A summer project." Padmé said, "Leia was assigned to do some project for her school with another friend over the break."

Luke nodded in understanding and then went back to his work.

He was working on a set of math problems. He was actually really good at math. He was always in advanced levels whenever he was in school. He could do a complicated algebra problem in his head. However, his mind was far from mathematics. He had a few problems done already. He counted the remaining problems. He groaned; he wasn't even halfway done yet.

* * *

><p>When the doorbell rang, Leia ran to the front door.<p>

"Mara!" Leia exclaimed.

Mara smiled at Leia, "Ready to get this done?"

"Definitely! How are you?" Leia asked.

Mara shrugged, "Fine, you?"

Leia smiled, "Fantastic."

Mara smiled, "Where are we working?"

"My room." Leia led her partner upstairs.

"Did you guys redecorate?" Mara wondered.

Leia smiled, "Yeah, my mom always likes changing the colors around here. White is her summer theme."

The two went into Leia's room and sat down on the bed. After an hour of diligent work, Leia finally rounded up the courage to ask Mara about something that has been on her mind for weeks.

"Mara, do you have any friends in jail right now?" Leia asked.

"No." Mara answered, looking up suspiciously at Leia.

"Did you ever have a friend in jail?" Leia wondered.

Mara bit her lip, "Your father told you, didn't he?"

Leia shook her head, "No, he's not allowed to. It's apparently classified information. Actually, I was at the CPPD and I saw you there… That's all."

Mara nodded, "Well, he's not in jail anymore. It was…a misunderstanding."

"Oh." Leia sighed, "How did you know him?"

"Er, he was my friend on Corellia." Mara said hesitantly.

Leia nodded slowly, "What did he do to go to jail?"

Mara shrugged, "He was arrested for a burglary."

Leia's eyes bulged out, "_Seriously?_ Wow…"

Mara shrugged, "Yeah…"

* * *

><p>After a few hours of work, Leia and Mara made their way downstairs. Leia went into the kitchen to find her mother who was still working.<p>

"Hey, Mom." Leia smiled.

Padmé looked up, "Do you want to ask Mara if she wants to stay for dinner?"

Leia nodded and looked behind her, "Mara?"

Mara came into the kitchen, "Yeah?"

"Do you want to stay for dinner?"

Mara didn't answer. She was staring, with her mouth wide opened, at the blonde boy sitting next to Padmé. Mara shook her head quickly and closed her mouth, looking back at Leia. "I, um, can't…Sorry."

Leia frowned, "Oh, okay."

Leia and Mara left the kitchen. Leia waved farewell to her friend and then returned to the kitchen.

She sat down on the square table across from Luke.

"Did Mara seem distracted to you?" Padmé asked, completely oblivious that Mara had been surprised to see Luke.

Leia pursed her lips, eyeing Luke. "No, but I think there's a lot more going on in her life than just summer assignments…"

Luke stared back at Leia, wondering what she knew.

Padmé pouted sympathetically, "Aw, poor girl. I hope she's alright."

Leia nodded, "Yeah."

Luke looked away from Leia. How creepy was that? Mara was a mutual friend between Leia and himself?

* * *

><p>Mara had been pacing around her living room ever since she came home from Leia's house. Why in the universe was Luke Vader in Leia Skywalker's house? Mara recalled Luke explaining to her that Luke had to stay with the Jedi at all times. Leia's dad was a Jedi, everyone at school knew that. But she also remembered Leia saying that her father was on a mission. So what was Luke randomly doing at her house when her father wasn't there? Wouldn't he follow <em>another<em> Jedi around?

All this wondering made Mara's head pound. Luckily, she didn't have to wonder for long. A knock on her front door told her that she would be getting her answers soon.

She was right. Once she palmed open the door, a certain blonde haired boy was standing in front of her.

Once Luke entered her house and the door shut behind him, Mara gave into her first instinct: she punched him.

Luke rubbed his arm, "Ow? Mara!"

Mara smiled and then squeezed him in a hug. Once she let go, she punched him again.

"I guess I deserved that." Luke muttered, rubbing his arm again where she had punched him.

Mara pulled Luke to a couch and sat next to him, "Tell me everything."

Luke sighed and put his head in his hands, "Mara, everything's ruined."

"What do you mean?"

Luke rubbed his eyes, "I'm never going to get out of this… Skywalker… He's…"

Mara shook her head, not understanding. "What, Luke? What is he?"

Luke put his arms down and looked Mara in the eye, "He's my _father_."

Mara's heart skipped a beat. "…_What?_"

Luke ran his hand through his hair nervously, "Don't you see? Everything's ruined… How am I going to kill Jared and Aria and take my rightful place as my father's apprentice?"

Mara tilted her head, "You mean Vader or Skywalker?"

Luke groaned, standing up. A sudden rush of anger overcame him, "How come he never told me?!"

Mara tapped her lips with her fingers anxiously, "Luke, _what_ are you going to do?"

Luke put his hands on his waist, shaking his head. "I don't know, I don't know…"

Mara calmed down, "Does Solo know?"

Luke frowned, "No."

Mara tilted her head sideways, giving Luke a pointed look. "You have to make up with him. And tell him."

Luke stood up, "I almost _died_ that night! If he doesn't want to help me, fine. He can go rot in hell. I'm done with him."

"He's very upset, you know."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Did you ever tell him about how I almost _died?_"

Mara shook her head, "I didn't see him in a while."

Luke nodded, "It's obvious that he doesn't care about anyone but himself. I did all I could to help him, and he won't even lift a finger if my life is on the line."

Mara bit her lip, "I'll talk to him."

Luke scoffed, "Save it. There's no point. I have to go."

Mara pouted, "But you just got here."

Luke shook his head, moving toward the door. "I don't want Leia or her mom to realize that I'm gone. I have to go."

Mara nodded, "Okay. Bye Vad- I mean, Luke."

Luke gave Mara a crooked smile and left.

Mara realized that her purpose on Coruscant was becoming clearer and clearer as the days went by. She pulled out her comlink, realizing what she now had to do.

A small blue holograph of the Dark Lord appeared from her device.

"Master, he knows."

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, we're done with the all of the <strong>**_introductory/_****_character-development_**** chapters. The next chapter is when things are going to start changing. It will sort of be like introducing the plot and stuff. I hope I don't make it too confusing, but I am explaining things a little at a time. I hope you enjoy!**


	22. Chapter 22

**The homework that Luke was working on in the last chapter pertained to the parts of school that he missed when he dropped out. School didn't start yet because Leia and Mara were working on a summer assignment. Sorry for any confusion.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO<strong>

The Clone Wars was fought thirteen years ago, but the outcome of the war left a great division in the Senate even to this date. The worlds that had been part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, or the Separatists, all rejoined the Republic. It was the only alternative for them in order to have support and security for their people.

These ex-Separatists did not let go of their anti-Republic morals, however. They reformed their party into what is now considered the "Socialist Party." On the other hand, those senators who had opposed the Palpatine Administration formed their own party as well, the "Loyalist Party." The two political parties quickly became polar opposites.

The senators who had been involved in the Delegation of Two-Thousand were arguably the leaders of their Loyalist Party. Of them included Senators Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Padmé Amidala.

These senators, along with a few others, were seated around in a circle in Bail Organa's office at the Executive Building. They had spent the last hour ranting to each other of the injustices in the Senate nowadays.

"It frustrates me to no end!" Bail Organa said, hitting his fist against the arm rest of his seat.

The senators in the circle all muttered in agreement to Bail's statement.

"Ever since we got a chancellor from the Socialist Party less than a year ago, everything we do in the Senate is according to the Socialists. The chancellor is completely biased!" Padmé replied.

"Yes, remember the latest bill passed in the Senate?" Tanner Cadaman—senator of Feenix—said, "It was completely unconstitutional. However, half of the Senate—Socialists, of course—all voted for it. And the chancellor approved it. What injustice…" He shook his head.

"And then, did you see how Senator Dasknatta requested permission to send troops to her planet? Why did she say? Oh yes, to 'maintain peace'." Bail scoffed.

"But it's the Jedi Order's job is to maintain peace!" Padmé cried.

Bail shook his head, "They already had a Knight go to Dasknatta's planet, Malestare. The Knight claimed that the people are upset with their government."

"So Senator Dasknatta asked for troops to stabilize them? Is she even allowed to do that? That's outrageous!" Padmé exclaimed.

Bail shrugged, "Dasknatta and the chancellor are close."

"I heard that Senator Tarkin requested the same thing." Senator Firmus Piett of Axxila informed.

The people in the room turned to him. Mon Mothma frowned, "He did?"

Piett nodded, "Actually, several senators are requesting for extra back-up in maintaining their security."

"Shouldn't each system have its own security force? Since when did they need clones?" Bana Breemu—Senator of Humbarine—exclaimed.

Padmé nodded, agreeing to Bana's comment. Padmé thought that if anyone were to make that comment, then it should be Bana because her world was almost completely destroyed during the Clone Wars. If anyone really needed the extra help from clones, it was her planet.

Firmus Piett shrugged, "Well, one senator did make a point that the clones were no longer being used for war. And since the Coruscanti police force uses clones, the other senators think that they should be entitled to clones as well. The production of clones and the expansion of the military have definitely halted. People are just trying to find uses for them now."

Padmé shook her head, "The clones should all be honorably discharged and be free to live their own lives. I never agreed with the Military Creation Act, and I definitely don't agree with this now."

"I think we should cast a Vote of No Confidence in the leadership of Chancellor Malindaar." Mon Mothma said.

Firmus frowned, "Truly?"

Mon Mothma shrugged, "Why not? Malindaar's predecessor was the best chancellor the Republic had seen in decades. Then out of nowhere, Senator Tarkin casts a Vote of No Confidence. The vote almost went to Tarkin's favor."

"_Almost_." Firmus reminded, "The vote didn't win. Chancellor Lemán was still allowed to continue her last term."

Mon rolled her eyes, "But you knew Chancellor Lemán. One vote like that caused her self-esteem to diminish. She resigned the next week."

Padmé shook her head sadly, "It was a dark day for the Republic."

"These Socialists are all just bad news." Mon commented, "How suspicious was it that Lemán died only a few weeks after resigning from office? It made me hate the Socialists forever."

Padmé sighed, "We can't blame them for that, though. They had nothing to do with her death."

Mon was already too fired up in her argument to listen, "You don't know that! They all have horrible histories. Half the Socialists were once Separatists. The other half is known for their greed and lust for power, hiding behind the ideology that their party will liberate the people. Chancellor Malindaar is just like them! He was a Socialist and now he does everything that benefits his own party. He—"

"_Mon_," Bail warned, cutting her off, "you don't need to suspect everyone that isn't on your side of being completely evil."

Mon scoffed, "They _are_ evil. They want to start another war by spreading these troops out. I don't know _how,_ but they'll manage to find a way."

Bail grimaced, "Maybe they honestly thought that this could solve all of the problems going on lately.  
>Look at it from Senator Dasknatta's point of view: her constituents are accusing her and the rest of the Malestarian government of embezzlement. Perhaps all she wants is to keep order…"<p>

Mon shook her head, "Don't they have their own police force to _keep order_?"

Bail sighed, "We can't accuse them of something they didn't do yet. Innocent until proven guilty."

Mon rolled her eyes, "You said it yourself: we can't accuse them _yet._ Obviously, something is going to happen."

"I think that it is going to be hard for history to repeat itself." Padmé commented, "We already had a case thirteen years ago where the Senate appointed Palpatine so much power that he was practically invincible. I think the Senate has learned its mistake. The only way that the clones could be used for anything besides defense would be if the Senate agrees upon. And I doubt the Senate would do so…"

Mon shook her head, "Chancellor Malindaar was a strong advocate for the Socialist Party, yet he was appointed as Supreme Chancellor by the majority. The Senate is comprised of many people who will be easily goaded into doing something if they think that they will receive something in return. They're all opportunistic."

Padmé sighed, "Arguing about this is not going to help anyone."

"I agree with Padmé." Firmus said, "The only motive for spreading out the troops is to keep peace. Why would the Republic want to start a war with itself? This is a fruitless discussion, what could they possibly be plotting?"

Mon shrugged, "I don't know… But whatever it is, it can't be good."

Bail sighed, "Why don't we request a gathering with the Socialist senators? Maybe if we can negotiate—"

"There's nothing to negotiate." Mon said, standing up, "It is clear what they are trying to do. They want to spread out the military so that we would be vulnerable if attacked."

"Attacked?" Padmé repeated, startled.

"Isn't it obvious? Several of systems have reported that their funds are mysteriously disappearing. Not anyone can just steal government money. We recently heard of the case on Malestare… What if all of this stolen money is going to something big? Something that is going to be used against us?" Mon suggested, sounding mad.

The rest of the senators in the room simply gaped at the Chandrilan senator.

"I suspect that the Socialist Party has their own agenda for the Republic." Mon said heatedly.

Bail shook his head, flustered, "Where did you come up with _this?_"

Mon sighed, sitting back down, "I've always had my suspicions when it came to Tarkin and Dasknatta. Even Malindaar! They seem to be very well acquainted with each other. They hold regular meetings with each other."

"Isn't that what we are doing now?" Firmus asked.

Mon shook her head, "It's something different. I have a bad feeling inside. They're up to something…"

* * *

><p>A week had passed after Luke snuck out to inform Mara of his true parentage. Since then, he had been regularly sneaking out to spend time with his old friend.<p>

But once Anakin returned to Coruscant, Luke's days—or nights, rather—of sneaking out were over. Anakin proved to be better at sensing Luke's Force signature. The first night that Anakin was back, Luke feebly attempted to leave through the front door after he thought everyone was sleeping. Once he exited the apartment, however, he found Anakin leaning on the wall next to the turbolift waiting for Luke.

"Going somewhere?" Anakin asked, smiling.

Luke dropped his head and went back inside the house with Anakin following closely behind. From then on, Luke learned that he wouldn't be able to sneak out when Anakin was nearby.

One morning, the Skywalker family minus Leia sat the kitchen table, eating breakfast. Leia had been at a sleepover with one of her friends the previous night and wasn't due to return until later that afternoon.

Luke was pushing the food around his plate as he distantly listened to Padmé and Anakin's conversation.

"What else happened?" Anakin asked Padmé. Padmé had been explaining to her husband about her meetings with the other senators while Anakin was away.

Padmé shrugged, "Senator Mothma is convinced that Tarkin and Dasknatta are up to no good."

Anakin sighed.

"I mean," Padmé continued, "I see where she is coming from. The two senators have definitely been spending a lot of time with the chancellor…"

"But didn't you do the same when Chancellor Lemán was in office?" Anakin asked Padmé.

Padmé shook her head, "But Lemán was a _good_ chancellor. She always considered both sides of any argument. Malindaar just seems to favor anything the Socialists say."

Anakin nodded, "The Council is not too crazy about the chancellor either…"

Padmé scoffed, "Well I'm sure they didn't throw a fit like Mon did."

"Do you think she's jealous?" Anakin wondered.

Padmé frowned, "I can't imagine why she would be. She served one term as Supreme Chancellor after Palpatine was removed, and that was it. She never ran again; she didn't want to. Why would she be jealous?"

Anakin shrugged.

"Mon only assumed the position of chancellor to repair things in the Senate after the war. She never intended to stay more than one term." Padmé continued.

"Well, she was a strong advocate for Chancellor Lemán. Maybe she is just angry that Malindaar took her place." Anakin suggested.

Padmé sighed, "We all were strong advocates for Lemán. She was the best chancellor the Republic has seen in such a long time…"

Luke had been listening to the entire conversation until now. He pushed his chair back, stood up, and left the kitchen.

Anakin and Padmé just frowned at the weird behavior.

"He didn't even touch his food." Padmé noted.

Anakin stood up, "I'll be right back."

Padmé eyed her wrist chrono, "I can't stay. I have a meeting with the Queen that I'm going to take from my office at the Senate. I'll see you later this evening, though."

Anakin nodded and kissed Padmé on the cheek, "I love you."

"Love you too." Padmé smiled, and left the kitchen.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

Luke was sitting on a couch in his room with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms hugging them closer to him. He was staring out the window, watching the Coruscant morning rush-hour.

Suddenly, he felt the presence of someone else in the room. He turned his head and saw Anakin Skywalker standing in the doorway.

Luke slid his legs down and scooted over to make room. Anakin smiled and walked across the room to sit next to his son.

"So, why didn't you eat?"

"Wasn't hungry."

Anakin nodded slowly, "What are you doing now?"

Luke shrugged, "Nothing."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Well, we're the only ones in the house right now…" Anakin began, "What do you want to do?"

"What do you mean?"

Anakin shrugged, "I guess we don't really have to _do_ anything… We could just talk."

"About what?"

Anakin smiled, "So, the other night when I caught you sneaking out… Who were you going to go see?"

Luke shrugged.

"Han Solo?" Anakin wondered.

"_No._" Luke said bitterly.

"No?" Anakin repeated, "Well, then who?"

Luke shrugged again, "Mara Jade…"

Anakin grinned, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Absolutely not!" Luke cried.

Anakin laughed, "Young love…"

"That's gross, never say that again!" Luke said, cringing at the thought. However, deep down, Luke remembered how he was always teased for having a crush on the red-headed girl. Luke shook the thought away; that was back when he was a kid. Things were different now.

"So… I can't help but sense that you felt uncomfortable with what your mother and I were talking about at breakfast." Anakin said in a more serious tone.

Luke sighed. The first thought that occurred to him was that Anakin so casually referred to Padmé as Luke's mother. It made Luke feel weird, partly because he was completely unused to it and also because a part of him still thought of his mother as a blonde hooker. Luke smiled at the thought.

But when Luke considered Anakin's assumption, he had to admit to himself that, although he had little to do with the Senate, he was still somewhat unnerved from the topic.

"Am I right?" Anakin asked, breaking Luke's train of thought.

Luke shrugged, "I don't have anything to do with whatever you were talking about, so why would I feel uncomfortable?"

"You tell me."

Luke sighed and leaned back on the couch. He really hated thinking about what happened less than a year ago…

_ Luke was in one of the many hangars in the Death Star. He was seated at a table next to several other TIE pilots. They were all playing a heated game of sabacc._

_The HoloNews was turned on during the game, but no one paid any attention to it. They were all focused. _

_Luke was studying the cards in his hand when he heard 'breaking news' coming from the HoloNet. _

_Luke frowned and looked up at the news. The rest of the pilots soon followed suit as they watched the current Supreme Chancellor address the galaxy._

"—and have ultimately decided that I shall be resigning from office in the next following week—"

_ Luke's eyes bulged out of his eyes. The other pilots held the same surprised expression._

_"Hold on, is this for real?" One of the pilots asked._

_"Shh! I wanna hear what she says next!" A different one replied._

_Luke stood up. Did his father know about this? _

_"Where are you going, kid?" Another pilot, who was the leader of his squadron, asked._

_Luke bit his lip, "I'll be right back." He left the hangar and took a turbolift all the way up to the command level of the space station, where the leaders of the Death Star were probably holding a meeting._

_Sure enough, Luke was right. Luke entered a gray room with a long table where several of the Death Star's leaders were seated and engaged in a heated discussion. No one noticed Luke entering except for his father. Luke made his way all the way down to the head of the table where Darth Vader was sitting._

_The rest of the people at the table were arguing with each other. Vader turned to Luke, "If this is about you and Jared fighting again—"_

_"That's not why I'm here." Luke cut him off, "I was watching the HoloNews and something weird came on."_

_Vader raised an eyebrow._

_"Apparently, Chancellor Lemán is resigning from office in a week."_

_Vader looked at Luke incredulously for a moment before turning to face the rest of the table, "All of this arguing is pointless." Once everyone heard Vader speak out, they all silenced._

_"I just received word that Amána Lemán is resigning from office."_

_Several gasps were heard from around the table._

_"So my Vote of No Confidence worked?" Wilhuff Tarkin asked eagerly._

_"No." Vader said, "We already discussed this. Not enough people agreed to remove her. However, I believe that simple request of removing her from office made Lemán self-conscious in wanting to resume her term any longer. But whatever the case may be, it doesn't change the fact that we will be having a new chancellor in a week."_

_Murmurs spread throughout the table._

_"And," Vader said, raising his voice over the murmurs. Everyone silenced again and looked up at the Dark Lord, "the next Supreme Chancellor must be someone from this table."_

_Wilhuff Tarkin and Kelli Dasknatta immediately shared a glance at each other, both thinking the same thing._

_Vader sighed, "Too many loyalists hate you two. You'd never win."_

_The two senators sulked and looked away._

_"How about me?" Garris Shrike asked playfully._

_"Yes, a notorious crime lord is going to run for the highest position in the galaxy." Vader said sarcastically._

_Shrike bit his lip to hide his amusement, "Yeah, bad idea."_

_Vader rolled his eyes impatiently, angry at the apparent childish behavior of his partner. _

_"Why don't_ you_ run for Chancellor?" Natasi Daala, a red haired woman sitting to the right of Vader, asked._

_Vader raised an eyebrow, "Is that a joke? We need someone who is already a senator right now."_

_Tarkin looked to the person sitting to the left of him, "What about you, Piett?"_

_Firmus Piett raised an eyebrow and then looked at Vader._

_Vader shook his head, "We need you to stay where you are. You're our only Loyalist spy at the table right now."_

_Piett nodded in understanding._

_"I think Albrecht should run. He's generally accepted by both parties." Dasknatta said._

_Albrecht Malindaar raised an eyebrow, "Really?"_

_Vader nodded slowly, "That could work…"_

_The members of Command at that table began arguing with each other again, formulating how they would begin Malindaar's campaign._

_Meanwhile, Vader turned back to Luke who had been silently standing in the corner watching the whole ordeal. "Find Jared and Aria. We're going back down to Corellia for a few days. There's something I need to take care of…"_

_Luke nodded, and then left._

_Luke later learned that the 'something' his father needed to take care of was actually Chancellor Lemán herself. Only a few weeks after resigning from office, Amána Lemán was found dead along with her Jedi protector, Master Shaak Ti._

"What are you thinking about?"

Luke sat up, unaware that he had been staring off into space for the past minute or so.

"Luke?"

Luke turned to Anakin, who was studying Luke closely.

"What were you thinking about?" Anakin asked again.

Luke shook his head, "Nothing."


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**

Padmé was in the Executive Building, tidying up her office. Suddenly, one of her old hand maidens that worked as her secretary entered the office.

"Milady, there is a visitor here to see you."

Padmé frowned, "Who?"

"Senator Piett."

Padmé nodded, "Thank you, Sabé, please send him in."

Sabé nodded and left the office. After a few moments, the young senator of Axxila entered the office and smiled at Padmé, "Good evening, Padmé."

Padmé smiled, "What brings you here, Firmus?"

Firmus Piett sat down on one of the chairs in front of Padmé's desk. Padmé sat down at her desk and smiled at him.

"I just wanted to inform you that I have scheduled a meeting with the Chancellor after tomorrow. I already passed the word to the others." Firmus informed.

Padmé nodded, "Thank you. Hopefully we can put a stop to this madness before it begins. I hate how we are all so divided."

Firmus nodded, "If only the others could see things the same way you did."

Padmé chuckled, blushing at the compliment. Suddenly, her comlink began to beep.

"Excuse me for a moment." Padmé said as she answered her device, "Hello?"

"_Hello? Mom, is that you?_"

A small hologram of her daughter flickered on.

Padmé smiled, "Yes, Leia, are you home yet?"

_"Yeah, Lilah's mom dropped me off a few hours ago. When are you getting back?"_

"Soon." Padmé replied. "Is your father and brother home?"

"_Yeah. They say that Threepio tried to cook something but it was a catastrophe. Could you bring home some take-out? I'm so hungry and I don't want to eat_ Disaster a la Threepio."

Padmé chuckled, "I'll see what I can do. Bye, honey."

"_Bye, Mom_."

Padmé smiled and put down her comlink.

"She's quite the charmer." Firmus commented.

Padmé smiled, "Yes, she is."

"However," Firmus continued, "I don't recall you having _two_ children…"

Padmé smiled, "What do you mean?"

"You asked her about her brother?"

"Oh," Padmé nodded, "Yes, she's always had a brother."

Firmus frowned, "Oh really? I never knew that."

Padmé smiled, "Well, now you do."

Firmus chuckled and then stood up, "Well, I'll be going now."

Padmé stood up as well, "I'll see you after tomorrow. Good bye!"

* * *

><p>After dinner, Leia was bored. Her mother and father were sitting out on the balcony talking and Leia didn't feel like joining them, just in case they got all mushy or something.<p>

So she went to Luke's room.

Luke was lounging on the bed with his back against the bed board and his legs crossed in front of him. He was practicing levitating small objects in his room with the Force.

All of a sudden, the door opened and in came Leia. She was beaming at him.

Luke internally groaned.

When Luke first met Leia, he didn't exactly get the best impression from her. She seemed odd, just like her mother. She was nosy and talkative; Luke literally felt claustrophobic when she was around him. But he also figured that she must have been a very sheltered child; why else did she enjoy the idea of a convict living in her house so much? It made a little more sense to him after he found out that she was indeed his twin sister…

But as she came over and sat next to him on the bed, Luke realized that he couldn't have found the most extreme opposite to be his _twin_. Weren't twins supposed to be the same person or something?

She smiled at him, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling with warmth. Luke wondered how inviting _his_ smile was, with his cold, icy blue-eyed stare.

"How've you been?"

Luke stared at her longer, not really answering the question. How could she be so…social? How was it possible for anyone to be so social? Luke avoided people like the plague. Here she was, in his room trying to strike up a conversation with a broken person.

"How did you _do _that?" Leia asked, amazed at his telekinesis skills as she was secretly watching him before she entered the room.

Luke shrugged, "That was nothing. I was just bored."

Leia grinned, "Could you teach me?"

Luke frowned, "What do you mean? Didn't your father ever teach you? He's a Jedi."

Leia shrugged, "He's taught me a few things here and there. He's always so busy though…"

Luke raised an eyebrow.

Leia sighed, "I don't know… Dad tried to teach me here and there, but I guess I was more interested in Mom's work. She enrolled me in the Legislative Youth Program. My friend Winter's in it too."

"Who's Winter?"

"Like, my best friend! She lives in the building too. Her guardian is the Senator of Alderaan you know."

Luke frowned.

Leia immediately sensed this. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Luke replied.

Leia eyes her brother quizzically, "Yes, something is wrong."

"No there's not!" Luke said defensively, not wanting to talk to this pro-Loyalist about his negative views.

Leia sighed, but dropped the issue.

"Excited for school?"

"Not really," Luke admitted, "I dropped out, remember?"

Leia rolled her eyes, "It'll be great."

For the rest of the night, Luke and Leia conversed about random subjects. Leia told her brother all about her friends. She even got him to open up a little about his own past school experiences. Maybe they were finally beginning to bond.

* * *

><p>Luke had trouble sleeping that night.<p>

Luke had always been attached to his old master. He shared a bond with him through the Force. Of course, the bond had grown weaker during the past couple of months.

Luke was tossing and turning in his sleep, unable to shake off the strong emotions coming from his surrogate father.

He was angry. Very angry. Somehow Vader knew where Luke was, and that made him extremely angry.

Who had told him? How did he suddenly find out after weeks of Luke being with the Skywalkers? How did his father finally find him? Luke could feel it through the Force, he knew that an unwelcomed visit from his father was expected.

He knew he wouldn't be able to go to sleep that night.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the Skywalker family was sitting at breakfast. Anakin and Padmé were discussing a new mission that Anakin was supposed to go on later that week.<p>

"How long will you be gone?" Padmé asked.

Anakin shrugged, "Not long. I won't be too far, so if you ever need anything—"

Padmé rolled her eyes, smiling, "We'll be fine."


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

It was almost midnight and both Leia and Padmé were sleeping. Luke was free to sneak out of the house again.

Luke and Mara were wandering through the crowded sidewalks of Coruscant.

"What have you been up to lately?" Mara wondered.

Luke shrugged, "Nothing. Leia's dad made me finish up the parts I missed from school. So now I have officially graduated seventh grade." Luke grinned.

Mara laughed, "Why do you make it sound like a joke?"

"School _is_ a joke." Luke replied, "Leia keeps telling me how exciting her school is and I _just can't wait to see it!_" Luke exclaimed sarcastically.

Mara laughed, "Don't make fun of her, she's my friend."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Who do you like more, me or her?"

"Well…"

"Come on, you've known me longer! How old were we when we met? Like, nine?"

Mara rolled her eyes and laughed, "I can't say who I like more… You're two completely different people."

Luke smiled, "I guess. But she's _so_ annoying sometimes! All she does is _talk. _She acts like she's so high class, too. It's infuriating."

Mara laughed, "Are you saying you would rather have a friend that's a scoundrel?"

"Yes." Luke replied automatically.

"I think I know one..."

Luke raised an eyebrow at his friend, "No."

"Just admit that you miss him!" Mara said, exasperated.

"I definitely wouldn't miss him if he was standing two centimeters away from me and I had a proton torpedo blaster."

Mara frowned. She looked at Luke, not amused, "That's not funny. He's your friend."

Luke scoffed and didn't answer. They just kept walking down the sidewalk.

Mara was contemplating over ways she could get Luke and Han to reconcile. _They can't feud forever_, she thought.

"So," Luke said casually after several minutes, "do you still have what it takes?"

"Have what it takes to do what?" Mara asked, although she already knew the answer.

Luke gave her a mischievous grin and all of a sudden Mara knew that tonight would be an adventure she hadn't had in a long time.

"What exactly are you thinking?" Mara asked slowly.

Luke smiled, "Did you hear about that new comlink that just came out?"

Mara frowned, "The one that can supposedly allow one to communicate with others while in hyperspace?"

"That's the one." Luke smiled.

Mara's frown deepened, "What about it?"

"Wouldn't that be cool?" Luke enthused.

Mara rolled her eyes, "Do you actually believe that it can take calls in hyperspace?"

"We'll never know unless we test it out." Luke answered.

"Where are you going to get the money to buy such a thing?" Mara asked.

"I'm not."

Mara looked at Luke, not amused, "Luke, remember last time you played burglar? You were arrested."

"Yeah, because of stupid what's-his-face." Luke replied, "I got this, Mara. Are you in, or what?"

Mara sighed, "Fine, but if anything bad happens—"

"Great!" Luke interrupted, "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Luke and Mara were in an alleyway right behind a busy street full of shops. There was a locked door that led to the back room of an electronics store. It was dark and there was nobody else around. They creeped up towards the back entrance.<p>

"Can you break the security code?" Mara whispered.

Luke didn't answer her.

Mara looked back behind her to see that Luke wasn't even paying attention. He was staring off at a large dumpster situated in the alleyway they were in.

"Luke?" Mara whispered again.

Luke slowly stood up and quietly tip-toed to the dumpster. He slowly tried to peer behind it.

Mara frowned, unsure of what he was doing.

Suddenly, Luke folded his arms, "Leia?"

Leia stood up from behind the dumpster. She sighed for being discovered.

"What are you _doing?_" Luke hissed.

Leia ignored him and dusted off her skirt, "You two think you can get away with another burglary?"

Mara raised her eyebrows, "You were following us?"

"I heard Luke sneaking out. Again." Leia said.

"I thought you were asleep!" Luke said.

"I was pretending." Leia explained, rolling her eyes as if it was supposed to be obvious.

Luke frowned, angry that his plans were foiled.

"I didn't even know that you two knew each other!" Leia exclaimed.

Luke and Mara glanced at each other.

Mara bit her lip, "Oh, this is slightly awkward."

Luke nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the commotion going on outside the alleyway.

He frowned, and walked out to see what was going on.

There was a group of teenagers all surrounding what appeared to be a fight ensuing.

Luke, Mara, and Leia all walked closer to see the situation better.

"Is that Han?" Mara whispered.

Luke and Leia both looked at her confused.

Sure enough, one of the boys in the middle was Han. He was arguing with another boy who seemed to be a little taller.

"You cheated!" The tall boy said.

Han rolled his eyes, "I won fair and square. It's not my fault that you suck at racing."

The tall boy took Han by the collar of his shirt, "Why you little—"

"Hey!" Mara pushed herself through the crowd to get into the middle. All eyes were fixed on her.

"Mara?!" Han exclaimed, completely bewildered.

The tall boy looked down at Mara, "You know this chick, Solo?"

"Um…" Han bit his lip, wishing he hadn't said anything.

"What's going on here?" Mara demanded, placing a hand on her hip.

"Is it Solo's bed time already?" The tall boy mocked.

Some of the other kids surrounding the fight chuckled.

Mara rolled her eyes and grabbed Han's arm, "Let's go, Han."

Han shook her off, "No! This kriff-tard still owes me money!"

The tall boy laughed, "Yeah right. I demand a rematch."

"Han!" Mara warned.

"Fine!" Han agreed, ignoring Mara.

"What?" Mara shouted, "Han, let's go! Racing is dangerous!"

All the kids surrounding them started laughing.

Han rolled his eyes, "Way to go, Mara."

"Okay, how about this," The tall boy said, still laughing, "we can make this a little more interesting. The ginger can ride with me to make sure _I _don't cheat. And then we can have one of my crew ride with _you_ to make sure you don't cheat again."

"What?" Mara yelled.

"Again?" Han repeated, "I told you I didn't cheat!"

"Han!" Mara shouted, angry that he was getting her sucked into this.

Before Han could say anything else, two more people joined them in the center of the circle.

Luke had made his way through the crowd with Leia following closely behind.

"What's going on here?" Luke said.

"Oh, well look who decided to show his face again." Han jeered.

Luke glowered at Han, "You senseless, idiotic fool."

The kids laughed again.

Han glowered at Luke.

The tall boy laughed at Luke's composed demeanor while insulting a mutual enemy, "You're my new favorite blonde kid!"

Luke raised an eyebrow at the tall boy.

The tall boy extended his hand out, "I'm Caz."

Luke ignored the hand, "I'm leaving."

"No, wait!" Caz said, grabbing Luke by the shoulder.

Luke turned around and glared at Caz.

Caz quickly let go, "You have to ride with Solo to make sure he doesn't cheat."

"No." Luke said coldly.

"Fine, wimp." Caz sneered, "I bet you never raced before anyway. Too scared."

Luke clenched his fists, "I've won more races than you can even count, brick-head!"

Caz looked down at Luke, amused. "If that's so, then why don't I race _you?_"

"What?" Han and Mara both exclaimed simultaneously.

"Why not?" Caz said, liking the idea even more.

"You still owe me money." Han argued.

"I'll pay you triple if shorty here wins." Caz shrugged.

Luke fumed at being called short, "You're on."

"Luke!" Leia cried.

Luke ignored her and continued to stare Caz in the eye.

Leia sighed; it was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Han was very angry. He knew that Luke would purposely loose just so that Han wouldn't earn his winnings.<p>

Stupid Luke.

"I'm not going to purposely lose, Solo. But I'm not doing this for _you_, either." Luke said behind him.

Han rolled his eyes at Luke's mind-reading skill. "Show off," he muttered.

They were now at Han's speeder.

"So where did you steal this from?" Luke wondered.

"Who said I stole it?"

"Who said you bought it?" Luke shot back.

Caz walked up to Luke and Han, "Alright boys, this is how we go. I have a member of your party to make sure I don't cheat. Now you need to have a member of my party to make sure _you_ don't cheat."

Luke looked around and then spotted Leia, "Her."

Leia's eyes widened.

"Do you two know each other?" Caz asked, frowning.

"No?" Luke said, as if it was obvious. "If I knew her, I wouldn't pick her."

Caz nodded slowly, not thinking about the fact that he actually didn't know Leia at all. "Okay…"

Caz left and got into his speeder. Mara got into his passenger seat, giving Han an icy stare.

Han laughed, "She does not look too happy."

"Of course she doesn't!" Luke snapped, "Look what you got her into!"

Han rolled his eyes and got in the back seat of the speeder.

Luke got into the pilot's seat and Leia sat next to him in the passenger's seat.

Han rested his elbows on the backs of Luke and Leia's seats.

"So, what's a pretty girl like you doing with a stupid boy like Caz?" Han smiled.

Before Leia could say anything, Luke sighed, "Don't say words, Solo."

Han shrugged, "What? I was just wondering!"

"She's obviously not friends with that earworm." Luke said.

Han raised his eyebrows, "So you lied?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "Wouldn't be the first time."

Han chuckled, "You bad little boy."

Luke resisted the urge to smile.

Caz drove his speeder up to Luke's window. He had one hand over the wheel in front of him. Mara was sitting next to him. She gave Luke a worried look.

"You set, blondie?" Caz taunted.

Luke tightened his grip on the wheel in front of him, "If you crash and hurt my friend, I will kill you."

Leia bit her lip. Han looked at Luke, not surprised that he would actually kill Caz if anything happened to Mara.

Caz just laughed, "Alrighty."

The two speeders were situated side-by-side. One of the boys came to stand right in-between them to read them the rules.

"The first speeder to finish the route first, wins. You must stay in the Undercity at all times to avoid being caught by the police. You must hit all the designated checkpoints. Any shortcuts will result in an automatic disqualification."

Caz looked over at Luke and winked at him.

Luke ignored him and set his eyes on the route in front of him.

Leia took a deep breath, "If we die, I'm going to kill you."

Han let out a nervous chuckle, "Doesn't sound like you've ever raced before."

Leia turned around to look at Han, "I haven't."

Han raised his eyebrows, "Oh…"

The boy in-between the two speeders cleared his throat, "On your mark…"

Caz revved his engine.

"Get set…"

Luke closed his eyes, focusing on the Force to guide him.

"Go!"


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

Luke floored the pedal.

In less than a split-second, they were soaring.

The two speeders fought for the front position. They banged each other's sides and scraped the paint off each other's sides.

Han whimpered from the back seat. Leia turned around to give him a strange look.

"They're killing my speeder." He explained.

Leia rolled her eyes and turned back around.

Luke made a very sharp turn around the edge of a building and almost caused both Han and Leia to fly off the speeder.

Leia clutched on to the sides of the vehicle, "Watch it!"

Luke ignored her and floored the pedal once more, launching the speeder to go slightly ahead of Caz's.

"Watch out from right under you!" Han yelled.

A split-second later, Caz flew from right under Luke.

"What the—"

"Look!" Han pointed ahead of him, "He's taking a short-cut through that parking garage!"

"That's illegal!" Leia criticized.

Luke groaned. He had had enough of playing by the rules. He pulled back on the throttle and the speeder lunged upward.

"What are you doing? We're supposed to stay in the Undercity." Leia shouted.

"Too bad!" Luke shot back.

As Luke ascended, the lanes got more and more crowded.

"You can't race up here!" Leia said worriedly.

Before Luke could answer, he saw Caz come up to join him.

Caz rolled down his window, "Bending the rules, Blondie? Fine, I'll play along." And like that, Caz was soaring.

Luke accelerated even more.

"Luke!" Leia bit her fingernails.

Luke jerked the throttle and made a sharp 90-degree turn with the speeder.

"What are you doing?" Han cried.

"Taking a short-cut." Luke said through his teeth.

* * *

><p>Mara watched out the window as she saw Han's speeder disappear into a long tunnel that spanned through several tall buildings.<p>

"Where did they go?" Caz asked stupidly.

Mara rolled her eyes.

"The route they just took is like ten minutes longer!" Caz said again.

* * *

><p>"Luke, this way is like ten minutes longer!" Leia cried.<p>

"Not really. There was a crash at the intersection back there. It'll hold Caz up."

"Oh, wow Luke." Han said with heavy sarcasm, "Always thinking with your head, you are."

"As opposed to what, Solo?" Luke retorted, annoyed.

It seemed as though Caz caught on to Luke's logic, and after a few minutes Han caught sight of Caz's speeder trying to catch up to them.

"He's right behind us." Han said, looking back.

"I know." Luke said, focusing on the speeders in front of him.

By each minute, Caz was proving more and more that he was a very worthy opponent. Luke almost thought that Caz could have been a kid raised by Garris Shrike to make money off of illegal speeder races, like Han was.

"Look, he's turning around that—oh never mind." Han said.

"Where'd he go?" Leia asked, thoroughly puzzled.

"I can't stand Coruscant and all its lights. Too confusing." Han huffed, slumping back in his seat and folding his arms, "I wish we were back on Corellia."

Leia frowned and turned around, "Wait a minute, how do you and Luke know each other again?"

Before Han could reply, the speeder went out of control. The speeder skidded to a stop onto a landing platform belonging to a very suspicious-looking building.

"Luke, what the kriff?!" Han yelled.

"That wasn't me!"

"What do you mean it wasn't you?!" Han screamed, exasperated.

"I mean, your stupid speeder went out of control!" Luke shrieked back.

From the distance, Luke could see Caz's speeder in a similar condition on the same landing platform.

Luke jumped out of the speeder and ran over to them.

Caz and Mara got out from their speeder. Caz groaned as he inspected his vehicle. It was smoking.

"What just happened?" Mara asked, completely baffled.

Luke shrugged, "No idea."

Soon, Han and Leia joined the others at Caz's speeder.

"All of a sudden, the speeder crashed onto this platform as if it was being controlled by some outer force. I don't know what exactly happened." Leia said.

Caz sighed and walked over to the group, "Well this just sucks! Now I gotta—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Caz dropped to the ground. He was out cold.

Mara's eyes bulged. She went to inspect what just happened. She bent down next to Caz's body and turned him over so that he was lying on his stomach. On the back of his neck, a small little dart was sticking out.

Mara gasped, "He was hit!"

Leia took a step closer to look.

"It must have been a—" But mid-way through her sentence, Mara collapsed on the ground too.

"Mara!" Leia shrieked.

"Leia, watch out!" Luke yelled. A split-second later, Leia found herself being shoved by her brother onto the ground behind Caz's speeder.

A dart similar to what hit Caz suddenly collided with the metal floor of the landing platform.

Han's eyes bulged out of his head. He slowly walked over to where Leia was almost hit. He picked up the small dart and inspected it, "_Who_ is trying to kill us _now_?"

A hooded figure came out to the landing platform, holding a strange-looking blaster in his hands. Luke figured it was the blaster that shot Caz and Mara.

Luke and Leia stood up. Luke took a step closer to the hooded figure.

"Luke!" Leia hissed.

"Who are you?" Luke asked slowly, squinting at the strange figure.

The figure was somewhat tall. He must have been an alien creature because the little amount of skin that showed of his hands was a deep blue color. His long coat hid any other signs of his alien features.

He removed the hood off his head.

Luke gasped, "You!"

Cad Bane smiled devilishly at the young teenagers, "Long time no see, kiddo."

Leia frowned, "You know this guy?"

Luke ignored her, "What did you do to them?"

Bane looked down on the cold bodies of Caz and Mara that were lying on the ground.

Bane shrugged, "They were only drugged. They'll be okay in a couple of hours. I wanted to hit the other girl too, but you shoved her out of the way. Impressive."

Luke just scowled.

Bane smirked, "No worries, she'll stay awake for now. I only had three bullets of these special darts. I got them from a friend way back from the Clone Wars actually." His dark eyes pored over Leia, making her squirm. "Let's hope she doesn't get in the way of what you're going to have to do for me."

"Who said we have to do _anything_ for you?" Han replied angrily, stalking up to Bane.

Bane chuckled, "Well, you two proved to be very helpful a month ago when I needed a job done. Now, I need another job done. So I set out to find _you_ kids."

"Luke…" Leia warned.

Luke ignored her, "We're done with that kind of thing."

Cad Bane shook his head, smiling, "Your friend here isn't. Didn't he tell you?"

Luke eyed Han suspiciously, "Tell me what?"

Han bit his lip.

Bane laughed, "Why do you think he was racing this Caz guy anyway? He needed to pay me back."

Luke scowled, "Pay you back for _what_?"

"For the speeder I gave him, kid." Bane said.

Luke's eyes widened, "So you gave him that speeder so you can control whoever is in it? Is that why the speeder crashed onto this platform?"

Bane waved his hand, "No. I'm not _that_ obsessed with Solo. I only used a simple magnetic trick to pull your speeders in. The concept is too advanced for a simple teenager like you."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Well, if we are only _simple teenagers_, then what do you want from us?"

Cad Bane smiled and pulled out an object from his pocket, "_This_."

Luke stared at the object in Cad Bane's hand.

"I don't get it. It just looks like a regular comlink to me."

Cad Bane shook his head, smiling menacingly. "This ain't just _any_ comlink. This comlink stores very valuable information for me."

"What kind of information?" Luke pried.

Bane shrugged, "You don't need to know right now. However if you can get me the comlink, I might just tell you."

"But the comlink is right in your hand." Han said stupidly.

Bane sighed, "This is just a look-alike."

"Idiot." Luke muttered.

"I heard that."

"Good."

Cad Bane played with the look-alike comlink in his hands, "I don't think you understand how important this mission is for you, kid."

Luke looked back up at the alien, "What do you mean?"

Bane chuckled and glanced over at the bodies of Mara and Caz lying on the ground. "Your friends will only wake up from their drug-induced sleep with the help of one of my medical concoctions."

"So?" Luke said, not realizing what Bane was implying.

"Your friends will only live," Bane said slowly, "if I have that comlink in my hand by the end of the night."

Leia's eyes widened. Han stopped scowling and looked serious.

Luke's lips twitched, "What do we have to do?"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for all the wait! Truth is, I had a hard time connecting the dots in this story. I know what events I want to happen in the near future, but I couldn't fit all the pieces. I don't know, it makes more sense in my head. I pretty much know how the story is going to play out, but I'm open to any suggestions. Insert smiley-face here.<strong>

**The next few chapters will probably be very very very long. I would hate for this one night to span ten different chapters, so I'm going to try to condense everything into as few chapters as I can. So beware... **

**Also, if you didn't already know, I have made a fic called "Follow the Light" about how things would have turned out had Anakin not turned to the Dark Side. It can kind of play as a prequel to this story in a sense. You can check it out... or not... **

**Have a great New Year!**


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

Han and Leia were waiting back for him at the speeder.

Luke jumped into the pilot's seat. He took one last glance at Cad Bane, who was situated near the back of the platform. He sighed and then focused his attention back at the speeder controls.

"So?" Leia asked.

Luke took out the comlink look-alike. "This is either going to be a very long night, or a very quick one."

"What do you mean?" Leia asked.

Luke ignored her and turned around to face Han who was sitting in the back seat. Han had his arms folded and was scowling at Luke, "_What?_"

"Are you willing to forget this rift between us for like five minutes so we can at least _think_ about how we're going to do this?" Luke asked angrily.

Han rolled his eyes.

Leia huffed, "Luke, _please_ explain to me what is going on. Who was that man? Why did you know him? How do _you two_ even know each other?"

"One question at a time, sister." Han said to Leia. "First of all, that sleemo back there was a first-class smuggler named Cad Bane. He was huge back during the Clone Wars, he's kind of been underground lately though."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Underground?"

Han shrugged, "You know…"

Luke shook his head, "Bane isn't a part of the Empire."

Han frowned, "He's not?"

"What's the Empire?" Leia asked.

"Nothing." Luke and Han replied simultaneously.

Leia narrowed her eyes, looking between Han and Luke. She turned to Luke, "Why are you friends with a criminal anyway?"

Luke scoffed, "I'm not friends with Cad Bane!"

"No, I mean _him_." Leia jerked her head towards Han.

Han raised an eyebrow, "Oh, I'm not sitting right here or anything." he said sarcastically.

"Why do you think Han's a criminal?" Luke asked, slightly amused.

Leia shrugged, "I saw him at the CPPD one time. Mara came to talk to him."

Han frowned, "You were _there_?"

Luke made a short nod in understanding and then sat properly in his seat in order to pilot the speeder. He activated the vehicle and then sped off into the night.

Han sat gaping at Leia, "Hold on, who are _you_?"

Leia smirked and turned back around to look at Han, "Leia. And the reason I saw you at the prison was because my dad worked there for a short time."

Han's eyes bulged out, "Your dad's a _cop_?! Luke, why are we trusting the daughter of a _cop_?!"

Luke shrugged, not looking back at Han. "Her dad doesn't scare me."

Leia laughed.

Han rolled his eyes, "Of course. So where are we going, Lulu?"

"Lu-Lu?" Leia repeated, raising an eyebrow at Luke.

Luke ignored the old nickname, "Bane said that the original owner of the comlink is now dead; I don't know, he wouldn't give me his name."

Han frowned, "Where is it now?"

"Apparently, the current owner of the comlink is some respected political figure. He also wouldn't give me a name. He only gave me coordinates to his secret office."

"_Secret_ office?" Leia repeated.

Luke nodded, "I said he's a respected political figure, so he must be secretly doing bad things."

Han scoffed, "Sounds like a couple people I kn—"

"_Anyway_," Luke interrupted, giving Han a glare, "we basically need to go to the other side of the planet for this thing."

Leia wasn't oblivious to Luke's strange behavior, "What do you mean, Han?"

Han shrugged innocently, "What?"

"Look, this isn't important right now!" Luke said, frustrated.

Leia rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, "Where exactly are we going now?"

"The Undercity." Luke answered, "The comlink is locked in a safe in the dude's office. Bane said that we shouldn't worry about this guy, though, because he is supposed to be away on a business trip."

"So we just break in, get the comlink, and get out?" Han summarized.

Luke nodded, focusing on the traffic in front of him.

"Did Bane give you that look-alike so we can replace the real one with it? You know, so people won't notice it's missing?" Han asked.

Luke shook his head, "People are going to notice it's missing, even if we leave a fake one behind."

Han shrugged, "You never know, but whatever. Hey Leia, would you mind opening that small compartment in front of you?"

Leia nodded and opened it. She gasped and pulled out a blaster, "Han, why do you have a blaster in your speeder?"

Luke and Han both laughed at her naivetés.

Leia frowned, "What?"

Han shook his head, "Nothing. Can I have it, please?"

Leia turned around and handed the blaster over to Han, eyeing him suspiciously. She turned back to her brother, "So, you never answered my question about how you two know each other."

"He used to be my friend." Luke answered.

Han rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we're totally nemeses right now."

Leia raised an eyebrow, "What happened?"

"He sided with the enemy."

"I did _not_ side with the enemy!" Han exploded from the back seat.

Luke didn't bother turning around to face Han, "Yes you did, when you decided not to help me."

Han rolled his eyes, "This isn't even worth fighting about."

"You're right. It's not." Luke replied coldly.

Leia watched the exchange between the two. She came to the conclusion that there was a _lot_ about her brother that she didn't know—that she had no _clue_ about.

The speeder later stopped in front of a shady-looking entrance.

"This reminds me of about half the neighborhoods on Corellia." Han said.

The three got out of the speeder and locked it shut. They walked over to the entrance which was just a pair of two very tall black metal doors.

"Should we ring a doorbell or something?" Leia whispered.

Luke shook his head, "We're not visiting these people, we're robbing them."

Han laughed and patted Leia lightly on the back, "You'll soon learn, Princess."

"Princess?" Leia raised an eyebrow.

Han shrugged, smiling, "Well, the only people who have never stolen anything in their life _must_ be a princess or something."

Leia shook her head, suppressing a smile, "You must not hang around a very nice crowd, Solo."

"Why, thank you." Han replied, as if she just gave him a sincere compliment.

"Stop fooling around and come follow me." Luke whispered to Han and Leia.

Luke led them to a narrow alley to the left of the large metal doors at the front. He entered and searched for any windows or doors that could lead them inside the building.

"Look, there!" Han whispered, pointing above to a small window.

"We would never fit in _that!_" Leia hissed.

"Yes we can, the only problem is… it's too far up." Han whispered back.

Luke looked around the alley for a ladder or dumpster or anything that could help them reach the top window.

"That must be at least ten stories high." Han whispered.

Of course, the building was not the only thing this window could lead to. There were dozens of other buildings and institutions that piled on top of this strange dwelling, reaching far up to the skyline of upper Coruscant. Who knew if this window was even the right one?

"Luke, remember when we were on Eriadu?" Han said, suddenly thinking of a plan.

"Yes…?" Luke said slowly.

"We wanted to reach that high window, not much taller than this one here." Han said, "And remember what we did?"

Luke nodded slowly, "I remember, but that building was constructed entirely of that weird magnetic metal thing. It's not the same here."

"Yeah, but we can use the same idea, but without the magnets." Han responded.

"What?" Leia said, trying to understand what they were talking about.

"Han was suggesting we strap magnets to our hands and legs and then climb up the wall… like an insect." Luke explained, "But this building is not the same as the one on Eriadu."

Han shook his head, "I know! We don't need to use magnets—"

"Lower you voice!" Leia hissed.

"Fine," Han said much quieter, "We don't need to use magnets. Any type of sticky substance could do."

Luke nodded, "We can just try climbing up the wall, using climbing equipment."

"Oh yeah, let me check my pockets for some climbing equipment." Han said sarcastically.

"Well it was _your_ idea; I was merely suggesting a way to—"

"Guys, look here!" Leia said, interrupting their bickering.

"What is it?"

Leia gestured to the wall of the building, "Take a look at the material used to build this place. They used _brick_."

Luke frowned and took a step closer, feeling around at the rare exterior. "This place must be pretty old then."

"But look again," Leia said, pointing to the patterns of the brick, "The building must have been worn out over time, and nobody ever bothered to upgrade it. So now, there are these weird dents and holes throughout the wall. These openings are barely large enough to be used as footholds."

Han beamed, taking a closer look. Indeed, there were many missing pieces of brick and many random holes around the wall. "Way to pay attention to detail! Let's go."

The three of them tilted their heads up and gave a long stare at the small window—their next destination.

"I'll go first to make sure it's alright." Luke said.

The others nodded. Han handed the blaster over to Luke. Luke nodded and then took it, attaching it to his belt.

He placed a hand inside one of the holes in the wall. Then he inserted his foot. Luke figured the holes would be able to hold him. He slowly tried climbing up the wall, using the gaps in the wall as footholds. It took him a few minutes until finally he reached the window.

"What now?" Leia hissed, trying to be as quiet as she can yet loud enough for Luke to hear her all the way from the high window.

Luke peered inside the window. It was grimy and hard to see through. However, despite its opaqueness, Luke was able to tell that the room was small and unused. Using the Force, he was reassured that no one was inside.

His feet were both inserted into two of the holes in the wall. One of his hands was laid gripping on to the sill of the small window. He reached down with his other hand to grab the blaster. With the blaster in his hand, he took a swing at the window. Luke cringed, his free arm covering his head as the glass shattered and flew everywhere. He latched the blaster back onto his belt and then climbed up so that he was just above the window. Feet first, he jumped in through the opening.

Trying to be as discreet as possible, Luke landed on the floor of the building. He took a second to look around. Just as the exterior of the building seemed old, the interior seemed old-fashioned as well. Luke swiped his forefinger across an old-looking table, wiping a large amount of dust with him. Luke crinkled his nose. Who lived here and how have they allowed this room to remain dusty for so long?

Luke went back over to the window and stuck his head out to Leia and Han. He gestured with his hand to come up.

Back down on the ground, Leia and Han glanced at each other.

Han gestured his arm to the wall, "Ladies first."

Leia gave a small smile, perhaps to cover her anxiety, and then started to climb up the wall. After climbing up a few steps, Han began to start his climb too. It took them a few minutes to get all the way to the top. Once they did, Luke held out his hand to help Leia in through the window. She hopped in and then walked about the room.

Luke held his hand out for Han too, but Han ignored it and then used the same technique Luke did when he entered through. Luke just shrugged and went back to Leia.

"What's up with this place?" Leia coughed.

Luke shrugged, "It's very dusty."

Han came up to the two, "Now what?"

Luke looked over to the only door in the room, "Looks like we got to start exploring."

"Great." Han said sarcastically.

"So where is the office?" Leia asked.

Luke shrugged, "I don't know. I don't even know if this is the right building. I only followed the coordinates; and remember, this window was only a way to get in."

Leia groaned, "Come on Luke, you have to know!"

"Relax, Princess, Blondie doesn't know everything over here. He barely knows how to race a speeder without getting sucked into a wild bantha chase." Han said.

Luke glowered at Han but decided not to carry on the argument.

Leia went over to the door and stood in front of it for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"How does it open?" Leia asked stupidly.

Luke rolled his eyes, "Typical."

Leia raised an eyebrow, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Han chuckled, "He's just not surprised. You're a typical Coruscanti princess who has never needed to lift a finger in her whole entire life. You don't even know how to open a door that can't automatically open by itself."

Leia frowned, "That's not true. It doesn't have a handle."

Luke placed his hands on the door, trying to see if it would slide. Finally he backed away and kicked the door down.

Leia folded her arms, "And I was looking for a less destructive way of opening the door."

Luke shot her a look and then went into the next room.

Han just put on a mocking-like smile and shook his head, following Luke.

Leia rolled her eyes and followed the others.

They were in a very narrow and dark hallway now.

"Everything here is so…_old_." Leia stated.

She was right. The floors were made of wood, and the walls seemed to look like something that belonged to a time period of a couple hundred years ago.

Luke just shrugged, "I've seen older."

Han smiled, knowing what Luke was talking about.

Indeed, Luke _had_ seen older. On Corellia, Luke lived with his father and two siblings—and perhaps several other people. Luke's old house was actually a number of several houses combined together by a system of underground passage ways. The entire capital of Corellia—Coronet City—was connected to this system of underground halls. Many years ago, Vader would use this system to his advantage. The halls were connected to several important buildings in Coronet City, and many meeting rooms for the Empire as well. Before the Death Star was fully completed, Vader used the underground of Corellia as his secret lair. Of course, nobody knew about the underground passages except for Vader and his crew. The Corellians who heard about the rumors only thought the underground world was an ancient myth.

Due to the old age of the secret underground passage ways in Corellia, they looked just as old—if not older—than the building Luke, Han, and Leia were in right now.

Of course, not _all_ of Luke's old home was actually _old_. The main rooms like Vader's office, the old conference room, and Luke, Jared, and Aria's personal rooms all looked modern.

They continued walking.

"So… what exactly are we looking for?" Han broke the silence.

"From what I've been told, I'm guessing the office is deep below the levels of the ground. We are looking for a turbolift, a set of stairs, _anything_ to get us down."

Han nodded.

They wandered through the halls with caution. The end of the hall led them to only one other room. The room was completely empty.

Leia sighed, "I don't think there is any real way out of here."

Luke roamed around the small, empty room. He ran his hands over the walls.

"What, are you looking for secret passageways or something?" Han asked skeptically.

Luke shrugged, "You never know."

Leia shivered, "This place is seriously so old. I feel like just standing here is enough for the floors to completely collapse from underneath us."

Luke smiled, an idea entering his thoughts. He got down on his knees and studied the floors closely.

Han and Leia exchanged strange looks.

"What are you doing?" Leia asked.

Luke tried picking at the floorboard.

"Luke, seriously!"

"I'm trying to see if I can remove this piece of wood to get under here." Luke said, "It's coming loose."

Leia and Han immediately caught on to what Luke was saying and then dropped down to help.

In just a minute, they were able to pull off the loose floorboard. Luke leaned his head down to see what was going on down below. Luke couldn't see anything, but he was able to tell that the room below had no present life forms to be wary of.

Luke jumped down.

He was closely followed by Leia and then Han who came down behind him.

The three of them stood in the middle of the room, gazing around in awe.

"Whoa…" Han breathed.

All around them, on the walls and on shelves, were the most state-of-the-art weapons and technology known to any sapient being.

"I would be set for life with these." Han stated.

Leia chuckled. She stepped up close to the wall, about to grab a cool-looking blaster. She hesitated and then looked back at Luke.

Luke bit his lip. He couldn't sense any booby-traps concerning the weapons. He nodded to Leia, giving her the okay to pick up a blaster.

The three of them immediately went for the most exotic looking arms.

Leia was being picky, inspecting each blaster and its weight. She held each blaster in different positions, trying to determine which the best one for her was.

Han was the opposite. He wasn't looking for _one_ good blaster. He literally went up to the largest array of blasters and started grabbing them like there was no tomorrow. He was securing them to his belt, stuffing them in his pockets, hiding them in his jacket…

Luke looked around at the selection, but didn't take anything. He found the exit in the room and stood quietly by the door until Leia and Han were finished. After a few minutes, they went to meet up with Luke.

"Didn't you take something?" Leia asked, confused.

Luke shrugged, "I already have the blaster from Han's speeder." Luke patted to the small blaster at his side.

Han frowned, "You sure, man? There's a lot of cool stuff back there."

Luke shrugged, "Nothing that I want."

Han nodded, understanding.

Leia just frowned. She knew Luke was good at using the Force, she'd seen him herself. His weapon of choice was obviously not going to be a blaster… it was a lightsaber.

Luke turned around and opened the door. They went out and found themselves in another hallway, except this time the hallway didn't look worn down and old-fashioned; it looked modern.

They walked in silence, looking for a door that could lead them to where they needed to go.

Leia bit her lip, "Luke…"

Luke looked at her.

"Do you get the vibe that we're being followed?"

Both Luke and Han stopped and stared at Leia.

Leia turned around.

All of a sudden, three guards clad in black armor turned in the same hallway as Luke, Han, and Leia. One of them pointed at the three, "Intruders!"

Luke, Leia, and Han had no time to think.

"Run!" Han yelled.

Everyone burst into running, full speed.

Luke glanced behind them. The guards were pulling out blasters.

Luke had no time to think. He shoved Han and Leia into the nearest room and locked the door behind them.

"We can't hide forever!" Leia exclaimed.

"I know!" Luke said, panting.

Han was turned around, looking about the room they were in. "Uh, guys?"

Luke and Leia stopped and looked at Han, then at the room in general.

"I think we found what we were looking for." Han said.

Leia's jaw dropped, "This place looks like the Chancellor's office or something. It's huge!"

Luke took a step closer. The room was large. There were no windows, but the walls were covered with banners. The banners were dark red and had a familiar insignia printed on each one.

The desk was large, modeled after the chancellor's probably. Luke went behind the desk and, sure enough, he found a safe underneath.

"This is it, guys." Luke said.

Han and Leia glanced at each other.

Luke looked up at them, "What?"

Leia pulled out her blaster, so did Han. "We're going to have to split up. You're probably the only one who's going to be able to open the safe. Han and I will hold the other guys off for a while."

Luke didn't like it, but he nodded. He didn't have much time to say anything else, because he sensed the security outside the door, trying to get in. "Go!" Luke yelled, and then dropped to the floor and hid under the desk.

Han and Leia made a run for it and exited out another door located at the other side of the room. A few seconds later, those guards broke into the office. They didn't find anyone in the room.

"Call for back-up." One of them said to the other. The second guard nodded and pulled out a comlink. The guards left the room and locked it behind them, setting out to go find Han and Leia.

Luke slowly rose from under the desk. The coast was clear.

He studied the safe. There was a number pad on the side of the door that he could enter the code in. _How am I going to do this? _

Luke first tried opening the safe with the Force. The door shook slightly, but Luke wasn't _that_ powerful. He wasn't going to be able to open the safe via Force powers.

He closed his eyes, hoping the Force would guide him to choosing the right numbers for the password.

He hesitated._ What if it didn't work? Would some security alarm go off and expose me?_

He took a deep breath. He remembered something his father—Luke shook his head, _Darth Vader_—used to tell him…

_"The Force is always there for us, you just need to know how to call upon for it. You need to be able to accept the Force inside of you, and let it guide you. It is willing to help you, if you are willing to help _it_."_

_"Even the Dark Side?" Luke asked._

_Vader frowned, "The Dark Side?_ What_ Dark Side? There is no_ Dark_ Side. The Force is not_ split _into two sides, Light or Dark. There is only one, The Force." _

_"But I thought the Sith used the Dark Side of the Force." Luke explained._

_Vader shook his head,_ _"That's just a label created by the Jedi. They look at us as_ evil _beings for allowing the Force to control us in its entirety. The Jedi are afraid. They are afraid of the complete Force, so they only use partial of it. They condemned the so-called "Dark Side" as a measure of the Force that is too powerful for them. They are afraid of the very Force that they strive to become a part of. It's pathetic..."_

Luke shook his head; he had no time for flashbacks. It was hard for him to take Vader's advice—to trust the Force and call upon for it. Everything he said _sounded_ right and true, but he had a hard time figuring out if _everything_ Vader once told him was a lie…if everything Luke _knew_ was a lie.

He closed his eyes again and called upon for the Force. He heard a clicking sound, and the safe was open.

Luke opened his eyes. There it was: the comlink. It was sitting at the bottom of the otherwise empty safe. Luke reached for it. He stood up, the comlink in his hand, and activated it.

There was no password or security measure on the comlink; it started with no trouble.

A blue hologram emerged from the device. Luke almost wanted to throw up.

It was a hologram of the Death Star.

Luke slowly turned his head to look up at the banners draped all over the walls, his heart beating fast and his ears ringing. _Now_ he knew where he recognized them from.

Each icon printed on the hangings was an insignia of Darth Vader's secret Galactic Empire.

Leia said it before; this office was so large it felt like it could be the Chancellor's office or something.

That's because it _was_ the Chancellor's office. Supreme Chancellor Albrecht Malindaar, secretly one of Darth Vader's lackeys. And this was his secret office.


	28. Chapter 28

**I have to say that I was SOO happy with all of the reviews I got! They seriously brightened my mood! I figured that you guys deserved an early update after all the praises I got. Thanks again!**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT<strong>

Han and Leia were running as fast as they could.

By the time the guards had found out which direction they went, Han and Leia were long gone.

The building they were in was very peculiar indeed. It was like a maze. Around each corner, there was a pair of those black-armored guards. Han and Leia would stop, fire their blasters, and then move on. They just needed to stall time for Luke to get the comlink.

They were both running, until Han abruptly stopped. He pulled Leia back.

"What is it?" She asked.

Han pointed next to him, "Turbolift."

Leia's eyes flashed, "We can get out of here! Wait, what about—"

Han shook his head, "No time for that, he'll find his own way out."

Leia nodded and then got into the lift with Han.

Just before the doors to the lift closed, a pair of guards saw them. They tried firing their guns, but the door closed on them too quickly. Leia bit her lip and looked up at Han, "They saw us, what if they do something to hamper with the lift?"

Han opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by a loud scraping noise made by the elevator.

"What's happening?!" Leia screamed.

The turbolift stopped for a minute. Han could hear his heart beating loud…or maybe that was Leia's?

Han tried frantically pushing the button to open the door, but just before it opened all the way, the lift suddenly started falling. _Fast_.

Han and Leia both grabbed on the walls of the elevator. The rate at which the lift was dropping was accelerating.

"If we don't get out of here fast," Leia screamed, "we're gonna go into free-fall."

Han nodded, not able to say anything—the wind was completely knocked out of him.

He tried scooting over to Leia; it was difficult, but he was able to grab her. The doors of the lift had opened and the two could see different levels of this mysterious building flashing before them.

"Jump!" Han yelled.

While still holding on to each other, they made a jump for it, hoping they would not jump into the wall in-between levels.

They fell on a hard, stone floor, right on top of each other.

Han fell on top of Leia, but a split-second later he jumped off, making a short "_Ah_" noise.

Leia quickly got up and turned around, looking about the room they were in.

There were speeders and space crafts of all kinds in this large underground room.

"Must be some sort of hangar bay." Han said.

Leia nodded and reached for her belt to get her blaster. There was nothing there. She groaned, "I must have lost my blaster in the jump."

This made Han aware of his possessions too. He started feeling around his pockets and jackets for any weapons that could still be on him. The only one he had left looked like a regular-issue blaster still attached to his belt. He took it out, "At least we have _one_ blaster left."

Leia sighed, but nodded.

They began to walk around the hangar. It wasn't completely empty, so they had to walk around cautiously.

There was a group of men sitting far across the hangar, all huddled around each other, probably playing a game of sabacc or something.

Leia studied the men closely from the distance. They seemed to be wearing similar armor to the men upstairs. They didn't look like guards though; they were probably pilots, judging by their black flight suits. They all had their helmets off, but Leia couldn't identify any specific facial differentiations. Actually, from where she was standing, she couldn't identify any differences at all. Of course, she and Han _were_ hiding behind some speeder… but all the men looked exactly the _same_. Almost like clones…

"What _are_ those?" Leia asked quietly.

Han shrugged, "No clue. Never seen any of those guys in my life."

"They're called Stormtroopers."

Leia and Han jumped at the voice behind them. They both quickly turned around, Han brandishing his weapon.

Luke just put his hands in the air, frowning, "It's me."

Han just gave him a weird look and put his weapon away.

"Don't sneak up on us like that!" Leia hissed, translating Han's facial expression.

Luke rolled his eyes, "Let's get out of here."

"Wait." Leia said.

Luke turned to look at her.

"What do you mean those are called Stormtroopers?"

Luke gave her and Han an uneasy look, "They work for the Empire."

Han's eyes bulged out of his head, "Wait, what are we doing here then? You said this wasn't…"

Luke nodded, "I know… Let's just get out of here."

Leia frowned, wishing she knew what Luke was talking about…

The three of them quietly tip-toed over to a speeder that looked like it wouldn't be missed if it was taken out.

Luke got in the pilot's seat, Leia sat next to him, and Han sat in the back.

Luke placed his finger on the ignition, praying the Stormtroopers wouldn't hear the rumble of the speeder coming to life.

"What are you waiting for?" Leia hissed.

Luke activated the speeder, fully aware that the nearby pilots would probably jump at the speeder being taken out of the hangar without authorization.

The pilots sitting at the sabacc table looked up to see who had taken a speeder without clearance. They saw the speeder fly out of the hangar and then each one of them hurriedly jumped into their own specialized craft, trying to catch up to the hijacked speeder.

Luke was flying the speeder as fast as it would take him.

"Leia, check for any weapons in any of the compartments."

Leia nodded and started searching. She found one in the glove compartment, "Will this work?" she asked, pulling out a blaster rifle.

Luke nodded.

Leia turned around and climbed to the back seat, the blaster in her hand.

Both Leia and Han were armed now.

"Don't shoot first!" Luke warned from the front.

Leia and Han waited for any threat that could be chasing them. In a few moments, a handful of speeders came flying from out the same exit that they came from.

Luke was trying to ascend their craft to the upper Coruscant traffic so he could blend in with the crowd.

The speeders behind them started shooting at them. Luke tried swerving the speeder around to dodge the shots, but he couldn't fly too crazy or then Han and Leia would fall and not be able to get precise shots.

Han turned his head around, "We're never going to be able to get Caz and Mara if we're gonna be stuck in a speeder chase all night."

Luke agreed. "Han, get up here."

Han turned around again and frowned, "What?"

"Get up here." Luke said one last time. He put the speeder on auto-pilot and then stood up and leaped off the speeder.

Leia shrieked.

Han quickly jumped into the pilot's seat and disabled auto-pilot and resumed maneuvering the craft himself. He accelerated into the Coruscant traffic.

Once Han sped up, they lost the guys following them. Leia stayed in the backseat but now focused her attention on what's going on in front, "Be careful!"

Han didn't answer. The driving citizens of Coruscant shook their fists in anger as Han illegally weaved his way through the lines of speeders.

"It's okay," Han said at last. "We lost 'em."

Then, out of nowhere, twice as many of those Stormtroopers came chasing after them.

"You just _had_ to jinx it." Leia muttered.

* * *

><p>Luke acts first and thinks later.<p>

That's what was going through his mind as he fell through the Coruscant sky, belly down and arms and legs wide open. He kept his eye out for any speeder that he could take that wouldn't be missed. He knew the clock was ticking fast; the more he fell, the harder the landing would be.

He had to find a speeder already in the air. He didn't even think, he just grabbed on to one.

He landed in the backseat and the driver of the speeder shrieked. He was the only other being in the speeder. It was a humanoid creature. Luke didn't have time to be nice. He pulled out Han's blaster pistol and pointed it at the driver's head, "Keep driving until I tell you to stop."

* * *

><p>Han was driving like a maniac. At least, that's what Leia thought. She mentally kicked herself for being so stupid. How could she allow herself to get into this situation? She was in a speeder chase, shooting at suspicious "Stormtroopers" tracking behind her; an underage boy she hardly knew was driving the vehicle, and her long-lost brother just jumped out into the middle of Coruscant traffic, probably plummeting to his death.<p>

Leia just shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind. She shot at a speeder behind her, making a direct hit at its engine. The speeder started fuming and falling.

"Woo!" Han cheered from the front, "Way to go, Lilo!"

Leia rolled her eyes, fixing her blaster again to shoot at more speeders. "It's Leia."

"I know," Han said, "but _Lilo _rhymes with _way to go_."

Leia didn't know if he was trying to be funny, or just stupid.

"Uh oh." Han muttered.

"Did you say _that_ because it rhymes with '_way to go'_ too?" Leia asked.

Han shook his head. Leia frowned and turned around to face Han, "What is it?"

Han pointed at the police speeders racing towards them from the right, their sirens wailing.

"Kriff."

Han made a really sharp turn to the left.

The Stormtroopers chasing them caught on to the news. Half of them continued chasing Han and Leia, the other half chickened out and sped away.

Half of the Coruscant Security Force speeders maintained their track on the chase, the other half split up to go find those other Stormtroopers.

"We're in deep poodoo now." Leia said.

* * *

><p>Halfway through the ride to the platform that Luke met Cad Bane on earlier that night, the scared-shitless driver with the blaster pointed at his head couldn't stand the pressure anymore. The humanoid jumped out of the speeder, probably plummeting to his death for real.<p>

Luke shook his head and grabbed the controls of the speeder. He really wanted to keep as much people alive tonight at possible…

He arrived back at the place Cad Bane told him to be.

Before getting out of the stolen speeder, he waited and tried gathering up his thoughts.

_No way can I give that guy the comlink with the Death Star plans on it… _

Luke sighed and attached Han's blaster back on his belt and got out of the speeder.

Mara and Caz's bodies were long since removed by now. The whole landing platform was empty.

A few seconds later, Cad Bane got out and walked towards Luke.

"Do you have the device?" He asked in his raspy voice.

Luke nodded, "But I can't give it to you until you show me that my friends are okay."

Bane folded his arms. After staring at Luke intently for a long moment, he gave a small nod. He turned his head and gestured his arm out, probably signaling someone to bring out Caz and Mara.

Two droids came out, each walking Caz and Mara out to the platform.

"The effects wore off." Bane explained.

Caz and Mara were able to walk. Once Mara caught sight of Luke, she brightened up.

Luke looked up to Bane, "Let them go first, or I won't give you the comlink."

Bane rolled his eyes and signaled for the droid to let go of Caz and Mara.

The two were freed from their binders. Mara just ran over to Luke while Caz—looking very confused and scared—ran the other way.

Luke raised an eyebrow.

Mara waved him off, "He was super confused when we woke up. I'm not surprised that he would just take off."

Luke shrugged, not really caring about the fate of that Caz kid.

Bane cleared his throat, grabbing Luke's attention again.

"Oh yeah," Luke said. He pulled out a comlink from his pocket and placed it in Bane's hand. He figured Cad Bane should trust him because earlier that summer he _did_ get Bane his stupid crystal skull.

Before he could wait for Bane to activate it and inspect his prize, Luke just grabbed Mara's hand and they ran back to the stolen speeder.

Just as Luke was about to drive off, he took one last look at Cad Bane.

"Hey!" Cad Bane was yelling, "This is not the right comlink! This is just the look-alike _I_ gave you! Come back!"

Luke put the metal to the pedal and drove the hell out of there.

Mara was turned around in her seat, watching back at Cad Bane's landing platform.

"What comlink?" Mara frowned.

Luke waved his hand, "Nothing, don't worry about it."

Mara rolled her eyes. She turned around and watched the disappearing platform of Cad Bane's secret hideout.

"Uh, Luke?"

Luke groaned, not looking behind him. "Don't tell me…"

"Yeah." Mara confirmed, "They're following us."

"Kriff, this is like the third speeder chase of the night!"

"_Third?_" Mara repeated.

Luke didn't answer. He made several twists and turns around the buildings to confuse Cad Bane's henchmen that were following Luke and Mara. At the end, Luke drove behind some alleyway and stopped the speeder.

"What are you doing?" Mara shrieked, "They're gonna catch up to us now!"

Luke shook his head and jumped out, "Come on! Let's go on foot. They'll never suspect we jumped out to run on foot!"

Mara got out of the speeder, grumbling, "Yeah, because they don't think we're _that_ stupid…"

* * *

><p>Han and Leia continued the speeder chase. Leia stopped blasting the people behind her because all the Stormtroopers were gone by now. She climbed back to the front seat. Now they were just being chased by the police.<p>

"Han, maybe we should just stop."

"No!" Han almost yelled, "I'm not going back to jail!"

Leia groaned.

Han kept speeding through traffic and dodging random speeders.

The speeder unexpectedly began to fly slower.

"Han, what's going on?"

Han started messing with the controls; pressing random buttons and hoping some good would come out of it.

"Something's gone wrong! I don't know!"

Leia started to feel really warm, and she could hear her ears ringing again. "What do you mean? Han, the police—"

"I know!" Han said, starting to freak out. The speeder was halting to a stop at a nearby sidewalk.

"Let's get out of here!" Leia hissed.

Han put his hand on the side door, just about to open the latch to get out. Then, he heard several blasters click right behind the speeder.

"Stop right there!" One of the officers threatened, holding out his blaster, pointing at Han.

Han and Leia slightly turned their heads and saw a whole handful of Coruscant Security Force officers with their blasters out.

Han took his hand off the door and slumped in his seat. Leia groaned next to him.

Just as one of the officers began to come near the speeder, Han and Leia heard another voice behind them. "It's okay, officers. I got this."

Leia's eyes widened. She knew that voice…

"Alright, Master Jedi." The officer replied.

Han and Leia sat motionless in the speeder. Han's fingers were so tightly wrapped around the steering throttle, his knuckles were white. Leia could hear her heartbeat trying to break out of her chest.

Next to Han's window, a figure suddenly appeared.

Han's jaw dropped and Leia just covered her face with her hands.

"Leia?!"

Leia wanted to die.

Anakin folded his arms, "_What _are you two_ doing?_"

Han was just staring up at Anakin, his mouth slightly hanging open.

Anakin was staring intently, but not at Han. He was glaring at Leia.

"Dad, I can totally explain—"

Han just frowned, "Wait a sec, _you_ are _her_ father?"

Anakin opened Han's side door, "Both of you, out, _now_."

Han and Leia sighed and then exited through the pilot's side door.

"Mind telling me why you two were involved in a speeder chase around the city?"

Han bit his lip. Leia just looked down at the floor, "We were being chased by bad people…"

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

Han and Leia just looked at each other then looked away.

Anakin frowned, "What are you two even doing together? How do you _know_ each other?"

Han smiled sheepishly, "We have a mutual friend?"

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah, where is he?"

"What makes you think it's a he?"

Anakin wasn't amused, "Where are _they_?"

"What makes you think there are more than_ one_?"

Anakin lost his patience with Han and then turned to Leia, "Where are Luke and Mara?"

Leia groaned, "Dad, please, can we just go home? They're probably already home…"

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Do you want me to call your mother and check?"

"No!" Leia said quickly, "Never mind."

Anakin looked around the sidewalk. All signs of those people chasing Han and Leia vanished. They were alone. Anakin gestured over to his speeder, "Let's go. You two are going to tell me everything in the speeder."

Han and Leia both sighed and started following Anakin back to his own vehicle.

"I thought you said your dad was a cop." Han hissed.

"I never said that!" Leia hissed back.

"You made me think it." Han muttered.

Leia just rolled her eyes.

Anakin held the side doors open for the speeder. Han got in the backseat. "Leia, sit in the front for now, I still need to get Luke and Mara."

Leia sighed but complied.

Anakin got in and stared out the window for a moment, trying to gather up all his thoughts.

"Where are Luke and Mara?"

Leia glanced back at Han, but he wasn't going to say anything.

Leia bit her lip. Maybe if she tried doing the Luke thing—not answering any questions and just staring at Anakin— her father wouldn't press it…?

"_Leia!_"

Leia sighed, "Luke went to go get Mara because Mara was in trouble, but now everything is okay."

Anakin frowned, "Why was Mara in trouble?"

Leia groaned, "Dad, please, I don't know!"

"Yes you do! You have to tell me."

Leia glanced back at Han again, and he was just sitting there, staring at Leia. His eyes didn't say anything.

Leia turned back around. Very quickly, she said "This guy shot Mara and someone else—Caz—and he said the only way he would save them is if we did something for him. So we literally went to the other side of the city to find this stupid comlink or something, and then we went back for Mara and Caz and to take them back and then…"

Anakin nodded encouragingly, "And then what, Leia?!"

Leia bit her lip, "Well I don't know… We were being chased by the people whom we stole the comlink from. So Luke jumped out of the speeder to go find Mara while Han and I were trying to stall time by just flying around."

"He _jumped_ out of a speeder?" Anakin repeated.

Leia rolled her eyes, "_Yes_."

"Where is he right now?"

"He's probably with Mara and Caz right now, taking them home."

Anakin's frown deepened, and he looked out the window.

"I don't think so…" He said quietly, "I think they're in trouble."


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

Luke and Mara stopped running. They figured they must have lost their followers. The people pursuing them, Cad Bane's henchmen, would think that they would be escaping via speeder, not on foot. Mara wasn't going to admit it, but Luke could be pretty smart sometimes.

They continued down the sidewalk.

"Where are we going?" Mara wondered.

Luke shrugged, "To Han and Leia. Wherever they are…"

They made a turn into a pretty empty street. The walked down for a few minutes, and then Luke abruptly stopped.

"What is it?" Mara asked.

Luke swiftly turned around and placed a hand on his belt, only to find it empty.

"Lost your lightsaber again?"

Mara turned around and gasped.

Jared walked into view, grinning evilly at the two.

Luke and Mara heard a voice from behind them, "Who stole your lightsaber this time, Luke?"

Luke turned around again.

"Oh wait," Aria smiled wickedly, "_I _did…"

Jared laughed from behind them.

Luke and Mara were surrounded.

Aria smirked, "Look, Jared, two pathetic children walking around with no _real_ weapons."

Jared laughed, "It's like they think the galaxy is suddenly a safe and happy place to live now."

The two siblings laughed, and Luke smoldered.

"What do you want?" Luke said facing Jared, his voice quavering.

Jared stopped laughing and stepped closer to Luke, "I want you to die."

Aria made a crackle, and then ceased. "Listen, Luke. We can make this painlessly easy for you. You see, if we had it _my_ way, I would simply Force-choke you to death." Aria shrugged. "However," she continued, "Jared's a baby and he felt bad. He just wants to slice your head off with a saber. So I said whatever. As long as you're dead, you know?"

Mara shook her head with disgust, "You've changed a lot, Aria. You've become such a bitch. You don't know how tempting it is for me to go up and slap you in the face right now."

Aria smiled, "Aw, how cute. The ginger wants to slap me."

Mara lost it and was about to jump on Aria, but Luke quickly held her back. He turned to Jared, "So if you want to do it, just do it. What's the matter? You've surrounded us and we're unarmed. Just do it."

"Luke!" Mara hissed.

Jared took another step closer, "What are you playing at, Blondie?"

Luke shrugged, "There's no game. You want to kill me? Go ahead."

Aria gave Jared a stern look, "Well?"

Jared took out his lightsaber and ignited it, creating the snap-hissing sound. He lifted it up to point at Luke. The ominous red glow laminated Luke's face, but he stood unflinchingly in front of his old brother.

Mara's eyes were bulging out of her head, "Luke, what are you doing?"

Aria grabbed Mara's shoulders and pulled her back, "Back off."

Mara violently shook Aria off; she turned around and smacked her.

Aria gasped and placed her hand on her reddening cheek, staring appalled at Mara.

Mara just nervously chuckled and backed away from her. Luke and Mara were now standing back-to-back, with Luke facing Jared and Mara facing Aria.

"What's the matter?" Luke said, breathing heavily, "Two fully-armed teenagers can't handle two _unarmedchildren_?"

Mara smirked.

"Hey Aria," Luke called out, turning his head so he could just barely see the fifteen year-old girl out of the corner of his eye, "you might need to come assist Jared or something. I think he forgot how to swing a lightsaber."

Aria growled at him.

Jared scowled at Luke, his hatred bubbling over. He raised his arms to take a swing, and then _BAM!_ Jared was violently pushed by some invisible force and collided with the wall behind him.

Luke walked up to Jared, smiling, "Just because I don't have a weapon, doesn't mean I forgot how to use the Force."

Jared rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Luke, feeling dizzy.

A split-second after that happened, Aria ran over to Luke, lightsaber ready in hand, ready to thrust it in Luke's back. Mara tried to get in her way, but Aria forcefully pushed Mara to the ground.

Luke barely saw it coming. Just as he was about to turn around to see what Aria was going to do to him, Aria was unexpectedly and powerfully hurled back to the other side of the wall.

Luke frowned. He looked over at Mara to see if she had done that, but that was impossible. She was on the floor, still recovering from Aria's shove. Plus, she didn't know how to use the Force _that_ well.

Jared got up from the floor and brushed off his pants. He stalked up to Luke, but stopped halfway. Luke frowned at him. Jared wasn't looking at Luke, though. He was looking at something behind Luke.

Luke turned around.

Anakin Skywalker was standing in the middle of the empty street, his hands on his sides, staring austerely at the group of teenagers in front of him.

Aria, oblivious to what had just occurred, got up and angrily marched over to where Luke and Jared were standing. "Who just pushed me?"

"_I did_."

Aria turned to Anakin, who had just spoken. Her jaw ever so slightly dropped.

Aria whipped her head to look at Jared, and he turned to face Aria. They both looked as if they were communicating through the Force.

Mara was now up from the floor, watching the whole ordeal. Anakin was standing at the front, Luke was in the middle of Jared and Aria, and she was standing in the back.

Jared and Aria slowly backed away, while each still keeping an eye on Anakin.

Anakin was closely watching the two siblings.

"Either leave now," Anakin said in his stern, Jedi Master voice, "or stay to be arrested and interrogated."

Jared and Aria both broke out into a run and, in seconds, left from view completely.

Luke and Mara were the only ones left standing there, in front of the Jedi Master.

Anakin shook his head slowly at Luke.

Mara hesitantly walked up to stand next to Luke.

"What were you two _thinking_?" Anakin began.

Mara bit her lip and looked at Luke next to her.

He was staring at Anakin, filled with tangled emotions, "Why did you let them go?"

Anakin ignored Luke and turned around to leave from where he came. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Anakin escorted Luke and Mara to his speeder. He opened the door to the backseat for them. Han was sitting on the other far side of them. Mara scooted in first to sit in the middle, and then Luke sat in the backseat right behind Anakin.<p>

The first few minutes of the ride were deadly silent. Then, Anakin broke the ice.

"Well, it seems you four have had enough adventures for a life time."

Mara bit her lip, "Master Skywalker, is there a possibility that you won't, like, tell Lenore about—"

"I didn't have to." Anakin cut her off.

"What do you mean?"

"She filed a missing child's report." Anakin replied.

Mara's jaw dropped. Han tried to muffle his laughter.

"Oh, Solo, I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. Lenore happened to call Dr. Sal, hoping that Mara just snuck off to your house. So when Dr. Sal investigated your room and found out _you_ were missing too, she called the police."

Han smile immediately turned to a look of shock.

Leia turned her head to face her father next to her. She was pursing her lips, "Why are you so uncool?"

Anakin shook his head, "Leia, I am _so_ disappointed in you. When I saw the speeder chase, I never would have _imagined_ you would be involved."

No one said anything in response. Anakin pulled the speeder over to an empty parking lot. He turned around to face the three sitting in the back, "Anyone care to enlighten me to what has been going on for the past few hours?"

Everyone looked away from Anakin, not answering him.

"Solo?"

Han looked up at Anakin.

"Why were you and Leia being chased by the police?"

Han bit his lip.

Anakin then looked at Mara, "What were you and Luke doing with those two?"

Han's head snapped to Mara's direction, "What two?"

Mara sighed, "Jared and Aria."

Han's eyebrows shot up and he looked between Luke and Mara, "What were you doing with them?!"

"That's what _I_ was asking." Anakin said.

"Why do _you_ care, Han?" Luke said, speaking for the first time since getting in the speeder.

Han gave a small chortle, "It speaks!"

Luke glowered at Han, who only shrugged, "Well, you might want to contribute to this little interrogation we're having. You know, you could mention how this whole event tonight was ENTIRELY _YOUR_ FAULT!"

"_MY_ FAULT?!"

"_Yes!_ You've managed to ruin everything, just like always."

Mara, who sat just in between the two boys, suddenly wished she was back with Jared and Aria.

"You always meddle and make things worse!" Han accused.

"Well sorry for trying to save your life! _Again!_"

"Again? _Again?_" Han repeated, scoffing, "Oh, okay—"

"—Yes! Again! Um, remember when I got you out of prison?"

Han sneered, "Ha! _One time!_ But _all_ the things I've _ever_ done for you—"

"One time?" Luke repeated, "I've saved your behind more times than you can even count! And what have you _ever_ done for me?"

"_Whenever_ you _needed_ something, _who_ was _alwaysthere_ to _help?Me!_" Han emphasized.

"You LIAR!" Luke exploded, "This whole _situation_ happened because _you didn't want to help!"_

"This whole situation _happened_," Han retorted angrily, "Because you chose to run away from all of your problems! And _I_, being a _good friend_, sided with you all this time!"

"I _told_ you why—"

"You didn't kriffing tell me anything!" Han screamed, "You never tell me anything! All I'm ever good for is going along with you on all your kriffing stupid adventures—"

"You never thought they were stupid at the time!" Luke interjected.

"—but I never know what the hell is going on!" Han continued.

"_What?"_

"Yeah!" Han nodded frantically, "Like today. What the _kriff_ did we _do_ for the past few hours?"

Luke's jaw dropped, "ARE YOU SHITTING ME, that was _all your fault!_"

"HOW?!" Han exploded, "You were the one _meddling!_ You didn't have to get _involved!_"

"How could you be so_stupid_, Solo?!" Luke went on, thinking about what Cad Bane told him about Han, "You know you're only supposed to use one person _one time_. How could you go back to him like that? How could you take a _speeder_ from him like that?"

"Shut up, Luke. Just _shut up_. You don't kriffing _know_ what went on! And you owe me a speeder, by the way—"

"For all we know, _he_ probably told Jared about us!"

"How was _I_ supposed to know Cad Bane was a part of the Empire?!"

"_Anyone_ who sided with the Separatists during the war is a part of the—"

"Whoa, whoa! _Hold_ up!"

Luke and Han both stopped midway through their yelling to face the front of the speeder. Neither of them noticed that all eyes in the vehicle were on them.

Anakin was turned around in his seat to face the two boys, "You were with _Cad Bane_ tonight?"

Luke bit his lip; Han just looked out the window—both were embarrassed by how they forgot their surroundings during their scream-fest.

"_Well?"_ Anakin asked impatiently.

"What?" Luke shrugged.

Anakin shook his head in frustration, "Do you have any idea how dangerous Cad Bane is?"

Everyone in the speeder now either gave a slight chuckle, scoff or nod.

Anakin dropped his jaw, "_Luke!_"

Luke just stared at Anakin.

Anakin shook his head, unable to believe what was going on, "You two are going to tell me _exactly_ what happened, _right now_."

The tone in Anakin's stern order made everyone in the speeder realize that they were in serious trouble. This wasn't just Anakin, this was Master Skywalker right now; and Master Skywalker was _not_ a happy camper.

"It's not like Han and I planned this." Luke began, "I just ran into him when Mara and I were about to—"

Luke stopped.

"About to what?" Anakin asked sternly.

Luke bit his lip.

_About to rob an electronics store._

"About to meet up." Luke lied.

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

Mara nodded, "Yeah, Luke and I were about to meet up, and later we found out the Leia was following us."

Leia nodded.

Anakin raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything in response.

"Solo was in the middle of an…argument." Luke continued, "So, Mara meddled and got herself involved."

Mara rolled her eyes, "I was trying to stop it."

"Mara, we all know what you were _trying_ to do." Luke replied tersely.

"Luke, just because you're mad at Han doesn't mean you have to flip out on everyone—"

"Mara, shut up!"

Mara whipped her head to face Han, who had just rudely interrupted her, "_Excuse_ me?"

"This was just as much your fault as it was Blondie's over there." Han gestured his hand towards Luke.

Mara raised her eyebrows, "How was it _my_ fault?"

"Ignoring the blonde comment," Luke began, "he has a point. This whole night could have been avoided if you didn't feel the need to get involved."

"I was trying to help!"

"_Why?"_ Luke asked angrily, "What has he _ever_ done for _you_?!"

"Alright, you three!" Anakin interrupted, "This isn't helping."

Luke, Mara, and Han all leaned back in their seats again and took a deep breath.

"Before we address the whole Cad Bane incident, we're obviously going to have to fix this problem first." Anakin said.

"Problem? What problem?" Luke asked harmlessly.

"There's no problem." Han added quickly.

"_That_ problem." Anakin pointed out.

"I don't have a problem," Luke said, "_he_ does."

"Actually, you have a lot of problems, Luke." Han replied, not directly looking at Luke.

"What do _you_ know about any of my problems?"

"_Nothing!_" Han shot back, exasperated, "Because you NEVER TELL ME ANYTHING!"

"YOU are my problem right now, Han."

Han opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped and gave a small smile. "Do you see how easy that was to just _tell me?"_

"I TELL YOU EVERYTHING!" Luke exploded.

"NO YOU DON'T!"

"_WHO_ DO YOU THINK I WENT TO WHEN JARED TURNED PSYCHO?!"

"I _TOLD_ YOU WHY I COULDN'T HELP!"

"YEAH, IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A COWARD."

"NO!" Han screamed, "IT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A HAND IN KILLING MY _FRIEND!_"

Luke was at a complete loss for words, "_Jared_ is your _FRIEND_ now?"

"He's _your_ friend too!" Han pointed.

"You need a serious wake-up call!"

"HE IS YOUR FRIEND!" Han repeated.

"HE PUT YOU IN JAIL, _REMEMBER?_ AND THEN _I_ BAILED YOU OUT!"

"NO! _MARA_ BAILED ME OUT!"

"Don't get me involved!" Mara quickly interjected.

"YOU?" Han continued, "YOU DID NOTHING. I HAVE NO _CLUE_ WHAT THE KRIFF YOU DID."

"Have you lost your mind?! I didn't go to kriffing prison for you or anything!" Luke said sarcastically.

"Kriff you!"

"KRIFF _YOU!_"

Both boys stopped and folded their arms, each turning their heads to face opposite sides of the speeder.

Anakin pursed his lips, thinking. "Last time I checked, you two were friends."

No one said anything. Anakin debated on whether or not he wanted to fix this problem. His Jedi instinct told him that Han Solo was just a bad influence on Luke, but his fatherly instinct felt that Han was one of Luke's very few true friends. He'd already been through a lot. Anakin wanted Luke to forget about his past, but he didn't want him to feel alone.

"When did all of this even begin?" Anakin heard himself saying.

Neither Luke nor Han answered.

"Mara?" Anakin said, facing the red-head sitting in-between two very angry teenagers.

Mara sighed, "Well… um…" She glanced at Luke. She knew that anything she was about to say could land Luke in a lot of trouble.

Luke realized that and turned to face Anakin, "I snuck out one night to meet Han, and we got into an argument. I wanted him to help me with something, but he said he was too afraid."

"What?!" Han burst, "Don't put words in my mouth!"

"Oh right, you don't want to have a hand in 'killing your friend,' sorry."

"This isn't funny!"

"You're completely fine with the fact the _he_ wants to do away with _me!That's_ totally okay!"

"YOU'RE PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH!"

"CALM DOWN, BOTH OF YOU!" Mara yelled.

Han shrugged, "Fine, I'm done."

Mara sighed, "Okay, good."

"I'm done too." Luke said.

Mara frowned, "Wait, what?"

"We're done." Luke told Mara.

"Great," Han said, "it's been nice knowing you."

"You too."

"Have a great life. I hope you accomplish everything you've ever wanted to kriffing accomplish."

"You too, Han. Have a great kriffing life."

"I intend to."

"Great. Glad that's settled."

Han chuckled ruefully and shook his head, "Now I won't have anyone holding me back."

Luke's jaw dropped, "How did I ever hold you back?!"

"The whole getting arrested episode! I could have made a living doing what I do best! And then you got us arrested!"

"THAT WAS _MY_ FAULT?!"

"YES!"

"Solo, the only reason you never got _caught_ was because of me! We were arrested because of Jared, your kriffing _friend!_"

"No, but that's YOUR fault!"

"HOW?"

"IT JUST IS!"

"Gee, what a great answer!" Luke shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, I don't have to tell you. Since you never tell _me_ anything."

"What the kriff, Han. What's with all the 'you never tell me anything' crap? Like, fine. Be that way. I'm not obligated to tell you anything, we're not friends. Hell, we're not even enemies. Like I don't give a kriff about you anymore. To me, you're somewhere between a kouhun and that white stuff that accumulates at the corners of your mouth when you're really thirsty."

The look on Han's face was priceless.

Leia's eyes widened and Mara let out a surprised gasp.

Han suddenly had a trace of a smile on his lips, "You got that line from a holo vid."

Luke frowned, "What? No I didn't."

"Yes, Luke, you did."

"No, Han, I _didn't_."

"You kriffing liar, yes you did."

"Come at me."

"Come on! That holo vid we saw like three years ago? You did not forget."

"How is this even relevant right now?!" Mara interjected.

Han scoffed, "He used a comeback from a holo vid. It's very relevant."

Luke rolled his eyes, "I don't have time for this."

"So you admit, you stole that line from a film. You couldn't even think of one good insult to use against me!"

Luke raised his eyebrows, "Oh yeah?! I could think of any comeback I want, I just don't want to _waste_ them on you."

"Go ahead, try me. I'll burn you so bad you'll wish you died as a child."

"Oh, who's the one stealing lines from holo vids now?" Luke exclaimed.

"It fit in the context." Han defended.

"Are you two seriously fighting about this right now?" Mara said, exasperated.

"We're not fighting," Han said, "we're having a squabble."

"A squabble?" Leia repeated.

"Yeah, but Han doesn't know how to have a _squabble_ without criticizing me for everything I do." Luke said.

"When have I ever criticized you?!" Han defended.

"Just now!" Luke claimed, "When you said I stole that line from a holo!"

"Besides that!" Han waved off.

"You are just so annoying!"

"_I'm_ annoying?!"

"Yes!"

"Well, I've never met anyone more annoying than _you!_" Han shot back.

Luke scoffed.

"You are the most annoying person ever!" Han continued, "All you do is whine! All the time! All the _kriffing_ time! You really know how to throw someone off the edge by just whining to them all day!"

"I don't whine! You see, see how you're criticizing me?"

"No, do _you_ see how you're whining?!"

"I'm not whining! You're so stupid Han!"

"_Why_ is that the first thing that always comes to your mind? You think _everyone_ is stupid."

"That's because everyone _is_ stupid."

"You see, this is why it's so hard to talk to you." Han accused.

Luke frowned, "It's not hard to talk to me!"

"It is!" Han reinforced, "You always make people feel stupid. You think you're just the _smartest_ person in the galaxy and you have no time for simple beings like the rest of us."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "That is _not_ true."

"Okay, okay." Han shook his head, "Has anyone in this speeder ever had a conversation with Luke?"

Everyone nodded.

"Han, what are you—"

"Just hold on." Han interrupted Luke.

Luke took a deep breath in through his nose.

"Have you guys ever noticed," Han began, "that whenever you talk to Luke or ask him a question, sometimes he just doesn't answer. Like, he just stares at you like you're a complete idiot?"

Mara laughed.

Leia smiled and bit her lip.

Anakin sighed but didn't disagree.

Luke's jaw dropped, "I don't do that!"

"Yes you do!" Han accused, "Someone could ask you a completely normal question, and then you just stare at them hard like they just sprouted wings or something."

Luke folded his arms and stared menacingly at Han.

Han flipped out and pointed at Luke, "_Just_ like that!"

"You're _so_ infuriating, Han!" Luke shot back.

"I know." Han smiled annoyingly.

Luke opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it. He frowned at Han.

The two just stared at each other for a while. Luke was slightly frowning and Han was slightly grinning.

Mara expelled a deep sigh, "Does this mean you two are friends now?"

Luke and Han both looked away and shrugged.

Anakin took that as a cue to start driving the speeder once again. The speeder became quiet as everyone watched the sun just about to rise on the Coruscanti horizon.

"Master Skywalker?" Mara started.

Anakin looked up at his rearview mirror to look at Mara.

"Do you think Lenore is going to kill me?"

Leia chuckled.

Anakin rolled his eyes, "Maybe. She was pretty angry earlier. Actually, we all are. This isn't finished, by the way. When we get home, Luke, you're still going to tell me _all_ about Cad Bane and your 'adventure' tonight."

Luke sighed and looked out the window, plopping his chin on his fist.

Han leaned forward and turned to look at Luke with an interesting look on his face.

Luke turned his head to look at Han, "_What?_"

Han gave Luke a hard stare. After a moment, he spoke ever so slowly, "Luke… Why aren't you in prison?"

Mara burst out laughing.

Leia turned around to face the three in the back, "What?"

Mara shook her head, "Nothing, it's just that… I always imagined that if I ever saw Luke or Han again, I'd ask the same question." She continued to laugh.

Han chuckled along and Luke smiled.

"You were kind of right." Luke said.

Mara nodded, "Yes, you _were_ running away from the cops."

Han laughed and Luke continued to smile.

After the laughter died down, Han faced Luke again. "No, but seriously. Do you guys," Han gestured between Luke and Anakin, "like live together now or something? Why did you say…"

"Wait, you didn't know?" Leia interrupted.

"Know what?" Han asked.

Leia raised an eyebrow, "How did you spend the whole night with us and not know who we were?"

Han shrugged, "What, is he like your boyfriend or something?"

"_What?!"_

Han raised his eyebrows, surprised by the outcry of everyone in the speeder.

"Force, no, no…" Anakin shook his head, gripping hard on his steering wheel.

"That's just wrong…" Luke said.

Han frowned, "What do you mean?"

Leia chuckled and then bit her lip, "Han, Luke is my _brother_."

There was a long pause.

"…What?" Han finally said.

Luke sighed.

Anakin shook his head, "Is that all anyone can say to this? _What_?"

Han shook his head, "Hold up, you are his father? Like his _real_ father?"

Anakin simply nodded, not looking back at Han.

Han just stared at Luke, "You… Do you see how you never tell me anything?!"

Luke groaned, "Let's not do this again."

Han sighed and then gave Luke a strange look. He started laughing uncontrollably.

Mara just stared at Han, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Way to totally switch sides, Luke."

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

Luke's eyes widened and he shot daggers at Han.

Han sighed, "There you go again with the stare."

Luke narrowed his eyes, "I hate you."

"Actually, you love me." Han refuted.

"No."

"Yes, I am your best friend."

"Not really."

"I know _everything_ about you."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Five minutes ago you didn't know everything about me."

Han shook his head quickly, "Minus that tiny detail."

Luke cracked a small smile.

Mara looked between the two boys and smiled. Everything was okay.

…For now.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

Dawn passed and it was officially morning in the Galactic City. Anakin had dropped Mara and Han both off at their own houses, giving their guardians the explanation that they simply snuck out to meet with their friends.

Han, Luke, Leia, and Mara were in a tight knot with the law due to their midnight disturbances to the city. Thankfully, Anakin's interference with the chase took care of the police situation.

On the other hand, the Cad Bane situation was a little more complicated. Did he _really_ inform Jared about Luke? And what about the Stormtroopers? Were they going to easily forget the events of that night?

Luke began to fear that Malindaar's secret office may have had hidden cameras that Luke didn't sense. Did they detect the comlink was missing? When Malindaar finds out, he'll surely tell Vader. Or…maybe he won't. He wouldn't want Vader to think he screwed up. Maybe this was good for Luke. Malindaar was always terrified of Vader, especially after Vader taught him his place after he questioned him once long ago.

Luke smiled at the memory. He was there when it happened. He couldn't remember the details to why Vader was mad at the Socialist leaders in the first place, but Malindaar made the mistake of standing up to him and claiming that Vader had no right to reprimand them, especially himself since he was the Chancellor. The rest was history… Vader lost his temper at the outward insubordination (no surprise, but then again who _wouldn't_ get mad if someone's inferiors rose up against them?) and electrocuted him using Sith lightning in front of the whole board of Socialists. Malindaar never psychologically recovered from that, but he learned his place. Just because Vader appointed him Chancellor didn't mean he could _act_ like he was the Chancellor in front of him. In truth, _Vader_ was the real Chancellor. Vader controlled Malindaar, just like he controlled everything else. To question that would be an idiotic thing to do.

Luke knew he shouldn't be smiling at someone else's pain, but it was hard not to. He might have hated Vader, but he hated Malindaar too. He hated all of the Socialists. In fact, he hated everybody working for Vader.

Actually, he just hated everybody.

Luke, Leia, and Anakin had arrived home at this point.

Padmé must have not noticed a thing. She just came downstairs to the kitchen and saw the rest of her family there. She probably thought the twins just woke up or something, and then Anakin just arrived from his mission.

"Wow," Padmé remarked, "that must have been a quick mission. You were only gone a day."

Anakin nodded, smiling back at his wife.

Padmé looked down at Luke and Leia who were both just awkwardly standing in the kitchen.

She frowned at them, "What are you two doing awake so early?"

Luke and Leia exchanged looks.

Anakin simply folded his arms, "Funny. I just got here and asked the same thing."

Padmé smiled, completely oblivious to everything going on. "Well, I have to go to that Senate assembly…"

Luke frowned, he remembered what Cad Bane told him earlier that night. The only reason he could break into that office was because the owner of the comlink was off-planet. And if Malindaar was the owner of the comlink, then that meant he was off-planet, right?

Anakin snapped his head towards Luke, frowning, "What?"

Luke looked up at Anakin and feigned ignorance, putting up his mental shields. "I didn't say anything."

Padmé gave Anakin and Luke a weird stare but then had to leave because her transport just arrived.

Anakin gestured to the dining table, "Both of you, sit."

Luke and Leia sighed and then sat down at the table. Anakin sat too and then folded his arms on the table, waiting for someone to begin the story.

Luke sighed, "All right, this is what happened…"

Luke told Anakin about how he planned to meet up with Mara, and then Leia showed up. They heard Han talking with some other people and then got involved in his 'conversation'. Luke left out the speeder race part and just skipped straight to the Cad Bane dilemma. He retold a quite censored version of the events that occurred at the secret headquarters. He didn't even mention anything about Malindaar or the Stormtroopers. He just claimed 'random guards' came after them.

Anakin quietly listened to Luke's entire story, never interrupting. He faintly narrowed his eyes. He knew Luke was holding something back, but he didn't know what it was…

Leia didn't say anything the entire time. She didn't make any outward facial objections or any type of indication that Luke was perhaps lying at pivotal events of the night. She was completely blank. Anakin wasn't surprised by this though. He knew his daughter inherited her mother's 'senator façade'.

"…And that's when you found Mara and me. I have _no_ idea why Jared and Aria were there though, I swear. It was like they came out of nowhere." Luke said, finishing off.

Anakin just nodded, thinking about what he would say next.

"By the way," Luke said, "why did you let them go?"

Luke had asked that question earlier that night, but at the time Anakin ignored it.

Anakin shrugged, "They're just kids. Neither of them is a real Sith. I was definitely not going to _kill_ them. I hoped to just scare them off."

Luke nodded and said nothing more.

"So where is it now?" Anakin asked.

Luke frowned, "What?"

"The comlink."

Leia's head snapped to Luke's direction. She completely forgot to ask Luke about that.

"I told you," Luke reminded, "I just gave Bane the look-alike."

Anakin shook his head, "What happened to the _real_ one?"

"I broke it and threw it away." Luke lied, "I don't know where it is now."

Anakin knew something was fishy, but he didn't press it. Although at first it was very hard to read his son, he has become much better at it.

"Alright." Anakin sighed and stood up.

The three of them each went off to their separate rooms, wanting to catch up on the rest they missed out on last night.

Luke went into his room and closed the door behind him. He went up to his bed and sat down. He put his head in his hands. He knew it was going to be very difficult going to sleep.

As much as he wanted to believe it, Luke knew that he would _never_ really escape from his past. It was going to keep on following him…

He pulled out the comlink from his pants pocket and threw it on to the bed.

_…Forever_

* * *

><p><strong>So this chapter was a little shorter than the previous ones. I can't believe it took me like six chapters to get through ONE night. The next chapter will have a minor time skip. They will also be getting shorter from now on. No more ten-page chapters lol. <strong>

**This chapter is also like the break-through point. In my mind, I feel like things change up a lot. We're going to start getting into the school year. How do you think I should do that? I could make one chapter describing all about Luke's first day of school, but if that's not something you all want then I'll just briefly go over it. Tell me what you think!**

**IMPORTANT:**** I hope none of the events of the past few chapters were confusing to anyone. Long story short, Luke was told to steal a comlink containing the Death Star plans from the chancellor and give it to Cad Bane who probably only wanted to have it for blackmail or something. But in the end, Luke just kept the comlink. (I guess you could say he was helping out the Empire a bit there). In the last chapter, Han and Luke practically got over their differences just by yelling at each other. I figured that's how those boys would just do it. Yes, I know I included a lot of swear words in their fight. But that is not a representation of MY usual language. Han and Luke were both brought up in less than desirable conditions. I figured that they would use profanity in their language. I want to keep my story as realistic as possible. I definitely don't use profanity in my everyday-language because I wasn't brought up like that. In fact, if my parents ever saw what I wrote then I'd be in deep poodoo. I'm just trying to keep the game real. **


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

It was nearing the end of the summer.

Leia was so excited to begin school that it was becoming annoying. Well, to Luke at least.

Luke had been dreading school ever since he was told he would have to go _back_ to the unbearable learning institution. Granted, this ultra-exclusive school in the Galactic City would be nothing like the Academy on Corellia… But he dropped out for a reason last year: he already _knows_ everything.

But no, Anakin said that the Council wants him to go to school. Apparently the Jedi Council dictated Luke's life now. There was virtually only one good that was going to come from all of this: he was going to be able to see his friends again.

Ever since the whole speeder-race/Cad Bane/comlink incident, Luke was never ever ever allowed to sneak out of the house ever again. Ever.

(But he still did.)

Of course, it was very difficult. Luke only ever saw Han or Mara a couple times since the whole fiasco. For the rest of the waning summer, Luke had been going with Anakin to the Jedi Temple.

He would watch all the Padawans train and mentally scoff at them. Everything that Padawans his age were learning now Luke had learned when he was probably nine years old. He would even go as far as to say that he was as skilled as Padawans that were in their early twenties.

Anakin himself didn't have a Padawan. Whenever one of the other Padawans brought that topic up, Luke quickly tried to change the subject or he would just excuse himself from the conversation. The other kids thought it was weird. They were under the assumption that Luke only felt uncomfortable talking about it because Luke himself wasn't allowed to be Anakin's apprentice or something. That was far from the truth…

Anakin only ever had two apprentices in his whole life. First was Ahsoka Tano, a Padawan he had taken during the Clone Wars. She was about Luke's age when she joined Anakin. She was knighted about five years after the end of the Clone Wars. Then about five years after that—long after Luke was kidnapped—he acquired another apprentice by the name of Nathan Kithrose, a human male. The others at the Temple thought Luke didn't know who Nathan was, so they described him. The girls would giggle and say he had the dreamiest green eyes and sandy brown hair. The boys would just chuckle sadly, stating Nathan was probably one of the funniest kids in the whole Temple.

Luke never intended to make any friends at the Temple. He wasn't a Padawan there or anything. Nevertheless, all of the Padawans loved hanging out with him. Since all the kids in the Temple _adored_ Anakin Skywalker, they were more than ecstatic when they learned about his son, Luke. At least, _most_ of them were. Luke still held an old grudge with a slightly older Padawan, Jerome Landski, after the Force-choking episode. When Luke first met him, Jerome didn't know he was Master Skywalker's son. So after he found out, he was obviously somewhat embarrassed, but also annoyed that Luke thought he could do whatever he wanted just  
>because his father was a Jedi Master. Luke figured that he would just try to avoid Jerome at any costs when he was at the Temple. This proved to be quite difficult after learning that Jerome was in fact Ahsoka Tano's Padawan…<p>

On the other hand, Luke began to get along fairly well with Jerome's friend, Hanalei Karla. Hanalei was Obi-Wan Kenobi's apprentice. She was fifteen, one year younger than Jerome. One time she and Luke were talking and Hanalei explained that the only reason Jerome was less than friendly with Luke was because he felt like Luke was replacing Nathan, who happened to be a very close friend of Jerome's.

Luke understood this. _Landski shouldn't be mad because I _replaced_ Nathan…_ Luke had thought bitterly. Besides, Luke couldn't replace _anyone_. He wasn't a Jedi.

Anakin never brought up his old Padawan in a conversation and Luke never asked about him. It's not like Anakin would ever suspect Luke of being _jealous_ or anything like that… it was just painful to talk about.

For Luke, it was painful to talk about too. But for all the wrong reasons… and Anakin didn't know that.

Well, Luke had not _always_ felt guilty about the incident. At the time, it was just another mission that his father had assigned him on. But lately, as he had become closer to his _biological_ father, all the tiny details from the past came back to haunt him. And no event was more troubling than the one that occurred barely a year ago…

_Luke and his father—Darth Vader—were hiding in the shadows of an abandoned building on the planet Humbarine. The planet itself was mostly abandoned. After the Clone Wars, the planet was almost completely destroyed and left uninhabitable. Many years had passed since then and the planet was regaining population. People were coming back. At the present moment, there were tens of thousands of sapient beings residing on Humbarine. However the planet faced many expected woes after its devastating destruction. The planet experienced corrupt governments, poverty, and crime. The Black Sun crime syndicate had taken the planet as their new temporary headquarters in the Core Worlds. Two Jedi Masters and their Padawans had been deployed to the planet to bring an end to the infamous organization. _

_Of course, Darth Vader was _not_ going to let that happen._

_None of the Socialist leaders or Death Star command that worked for Darth Vader's underground Empire knew it, but Vader actually kept a secret alliance with the leaders of the Black Sun organization itself. _

_Vader knew the Black Sun was a threat, but that didn't stop him from trying to test out a coalition. It wouldn't be the first time Vader took something potentially hazardous to his career and turned it into something advantageous. One glance down at his Jedi-sired apprentice could prove that. _

_When Vader was informed by Prince Xizor—the current leader of the Black Sun—that there might be an impending confrontation with the Jedi, Vader immediately set out to depart for Humbarine to address such issues. Of course, Vader never intended to reveal himself to the Jedi. He would be working behind the scenes._

_Subsequently, Vader was informed by Ysanne Isard—the Director of Imperial Intelligence—that the Jedi arriving at Humbarine would include Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker._

_For Vader, this report changed everything._

_At the time, Vader was on Corellia. He was not far from the action impending on Humbarine. He decided this event could be an adequate lesson for his young apprentice, Luke. _

_This is how Luke found himself hiding behind a broken-down wall in the shadows of an abandoned construction on the nearly-destroyed planet of Humbarine._

_"How is the Black Sun defending itself from the Jedi?" Luke asked._

_Vader was on look-out, waiting for something… or someone. He didn't look at Luke when he answered him, "Just the regular. Droids and security guards."_

_Luke nodded. He looked up at his father, "What are you waiting for? What are we here to do anyway?"_

_Vader sighed and looked down at Luke, "We're here to stall time. The Black Sun dispatched a whole unit of droids to occupy the Jedi so they won't be able to fulfill their mission. By the time they finish through all the droids, the Black Sun—and any trace of their dealings—will be long gone. Back to their headquarters on Coruscant."_

_Luke frowned, "Isn't that worse though? There are more Jedi on Coruscant…"_

_Vader nodded, "Yes, but the Black Sun made a very…sloppy…deal here on Humbarine and they took advantage of the weak state too much. It's easier for them to blend in on Coruscant."_

_Luke nodded. Luke wouldn't know how easy it was to blend in on Coruscant…he had never really been there before. Everything he knew about the planet came from the HoloNet. _

_"Anyway," Vader continued, "we are here to stall the Jedi in a more effective way than just placing dozens of droids in their way."_

_"How do we do that?"_

_Vader flashed a small, menacing leer. "We kill one."_

Right_, Luke thought. _

_The two waited some more._

_"Why only one? Why not all of them?" Luke inquired._

_"It would bring too much attention to the situation." Vader explained._

_Luke nodded and then brought his attention back to the street in front of them. He could hear the blaster sounds from the droids now…_

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, Obi-Wan, Hanalei, Anakin, and Nathan had just completely taken down a whole unit of Black Sun droids. They met at a three-way intersection.<em>

_"What now?" Anakin asked._

_Obi-Wan bit his lip, "I suppose we split up. They're just droids."_

_Anakin nodded, "Okay, you can take Hanalei down that way, I'll take the right, and Nathan can take the left."_

_Obi-Wan nodded. Hanalei frowned, "How come Nathan gets to go solo?"_

_Nathan just placed a hand on Hanalei's shoulder and worked up the most sympathetic expression he could muster, "Because you are still _so_ young."_

_Hanalei rolled her eyes, "I'm fourteen. You're only a year older, there's hardly a difference."_

_Anakin laughed and then waved his hand, "Come on, go!"_

_The team split up to search for their target, the Black Sun._

_Nathan ran down the same exact street that the Dark Lord of the Sith and his apprentice were occupying, waiting for their prey._

* * *

><p><em>Vader observed Skywalker's young apprentice as he battled several droids at once. He was definitely powerful, Vader noted. Skywalker surely must have taught him a lot. That made this whole operation even more worthwhile.<em>

_He looked back to his side where Luke was standing, watching the boy. "This is it."_

_Luke nodded, brandishing his lightsaber._

_"Eliminate him and then abandon site, immediately." Vader instructed._

_Luke did just as his master directed. He leaped on to the scene and ignited his lightsaber._

_The Padawan quickly turned around at the sound of the weapon, probably thinking it was just his master or some other Jedi. He was dreadfully mistaken._

_He hardly had the time to behold the red lightsaber and make the connection that his confronter was a Sith until he collapsed to the floor, dead. _

_Luke had stabbed him. _

_A split-second later, Luke bolted. He ran and then Force-jumped back to where his father was waiting. "We have to go!" He whispered, afraid that the other Jedi would catch them._

_Vader shook his head, a wicked smile forming on his lips._

_Luke was very confused. His father _never_ smiled…_

_Luke watched as the scene that Vader had been waiting for unfolded before them…_

* * *

><p><em>Obi-Wan and Hanalei found a dead-end at their path. They raced back to the intersection and decided to go down the left where Nathan was supposed to be looking for any signs of trouble. They figured the Padawan on the left would need more help than the Jedi Master at the right.<em>

_Hanalei ran into the scene first. _

_She shrieked._

_ Obi-Wan closely followed her gaze and then spotted what she saw: Nathan's lifeless corpse lying on the ground._

_Hanalei fell to her knees and began sobbing, quite uncharacteristic of a Jedi._

_Obi-Wan looked behind him and saw Anakin turn into the street they were on._

_"Anakin…" Obi-Wan whispered, unsure of what to say._

_Anakin didn't say anything. He didn't even comprehend what was even going on until he took a few steps closer._

* * *

><p><em>This was the part Vader had been waiting for. He watched as Skywalker walked up to the cold body of his young apprentice and then fell to his knees in front of him. He didn't cry—Vader didn't expect him to—but he wore an expression of sincere anguish.<em>

_Of course, none of the Jedi knew what actually occurred. Maybe they would be able to identify the blow that killed the Padawan to be from a lightsaber, but by then Vader and Luke would be long gone. Vader was extremely experienced at shielding his presence—as well as Luke's—in the Force. That was why they could stand there, watching…_

_Vader forgot how much fun it was to sabotage and ruin Skywalker's life. _

_He looked down at Luke, "Let's go."_

_Luke always felt a small pang of guilt whenever he killed somebody, by now he was used to it. However there was something atypical about the killing of the young apprentice today. There was no way that slaying one Padawan was good enough to stall for time. Luke knew Vader's explanation was bantha fodder._

_Later that night, he confronted Vader about it. _

_At first, Vader was irritated that Luke would ever even question his authority. Then he was angry that Luke felt guilty about killing someone in general. But Luke tried to explain to him that that wasn't what he meant. There was nothing apparently threatening about that Padawan. Why did the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker have to die?_

_At last, Vader just gave him the most sinister smirk and said something that Luke never forgot. He never knew why, but the same words would echo in the back of his mind ever since…_

_"We cannot have _two_ Anakin Skywalkers." _

And after a long time, Luke finally understood what Vader meant.


	32. Chapter 32

**Long time, no see! Sorry for taking forever to update, I have been so involved with school lately, but summer is finally here! Funny that I should celebrate with uploading a school chapter... This is so long and I don't know why, it's just a filler chapter. There is like absolutely no plot, I bet that if you didn't read this and just waited for the next update you would not be totally lost. Oh well, Luke needs to have a first day of school experience. There will not be many chapters like this in the future, after this we will jump right back into the story. In fact, I already have the next chapter all done and ready! I hope to be updating AT LEAST once a week from now on, if not more. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO<strong>

The alarm rang 0600 hours. This was it.

It was the first day of school.

It didn't take long for Luke to shower and get ready, and in just half an hour he was all dressed up in his new school uniform that Padmé happily bought several weeks ago. She seemed surprised when she learned that none of the uniforms already present in Luke's closet fit. That was when Luke learned about the creepy history of all the clothes in his closet. Padmé wasn't there when Anakin explained it, but apparently Padmé developed her own therapeutic methods of getting over the loss of one of her children. She would go out and buy clothes for Luke, as if he still lived in the same house. Anakin just chuckled at the memory, but Luke thought it was beyond bizarre and didn't say anything in response.

Luke and Leia were sitting down at the table for breakfast. Padmé walked in, beaming at the two.

"Hey Mom, why so smiley?" Leia asked, somewhat disconcerted.

Padmé chuckled, "I'm just excited for the first day of school!"

Translation: "I'm just excited for the first day of school that both of my children will be attending together."

Anakin walked into the kitchen, "You two ready?"

The twins followed their father out to his speeder, Leia getting in the front and Luke sitting in the back. He folded his arms over his chest as Anakin began his pilot to school. Luke was a _Sith_, not a _schoolboy_.

The whole ride was filled with different anecdotes told by Leia all about school. "I seriously can't wait to see who all is going to be half-asleep with bags under their eyes when we get to school."

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.

"You know," Leia shrugged, "the people who left all of their summer assignments off to the last day. You have no idea how many people commed me last night, asking me about questions on the homework that I did in the first week of summer."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Oh, you never procrastinate?"

Leia scoffed, "Of course not!"

"Oh right," Luke smiled, "you're just the perfect student."

Anakin and Leia chuckled, and they soon arrived at the school and Anakin parked the speeder on the expansive landing pad. Leia got out and waited for Luke. Luke took one look at all the kids walking in through the large glass double-doors of the middle school. He turned back to Anakin, "Are you sure I can't be homeschooled?"

Anakin sighed, "Come on, just try it. School isn't that bad."

Luke got out, grabbing his bag, "Yeah it is," he muttered. "I've been to school before."

Luke stayed close to Leia as they walked in. "We're like complete opposites." Leia remarked, "I remember being homeschooled by Threepio when I was little and I hated it. I begged to go to a regular school, even though Mom didn't approve at first."

Luke shook his head, "So this is all _your_ fault."

Leia laughed, "It's fine! Everyone here is so friendly!"

"I'm not a people person." Luke muttered.

Leia led her brother all the way to the 8th grade floor and the twins found their assigned lockers, adjacent to each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke found Han Solo down a few lockers to his right. He grinned and walked down to him and tapped on his shoulder.

Han jumped and then looked at Luke and then smiled, "There you are! Man, I forgot that you're an _S_ now."

Luke chuckled at the reference to his new last name. Leia soon walked up to where Luke and Han were standing.

"Leia!" Han beamed, slightly over-enthusiastically.

Leia just smiled and rolled her eyes, "Long time, no see Solo."

Han laughed and started looking around the hallway. "No way!" He breathed.

Luke and Leia both snapped their heads to the direction that Han was looking at.

Mara Jade was standing with another girl at someone's locker. Han grinned and walked over there.

Leia chuckled at her brother, "You may not be a people person, but _he_ sure is."

The twins watched as Han approached the three girls.

* * *

><p>Mara was standing at her friend's locker with another girl named Telina. The girl whose locker they were at was named Korra Steel, so Mara hoped she would catch Han, Luke, or even Leia down at the S-section.<p>

She got her wish because as soon as it was Mara's turn to share an event from the past summer with her friends, someone came up to her from behind and draped his arm over her shoulder.

She looked up at him, "Han!"

Korra and Telina exchanged amused looks.

"Hello ladies." Han said, "The name's Han Solo."

Korra and Telina both chuckled at Han's flamboyant boyish persona. Han chuckled with them, completely comfortable with laughing at his own stupidity. He took the time to study Mara's friends. They both looked of the athletic type. Telina had an olive tone to her skin with straight, black hair to match. Korra had a slightly larger build with dark burgundy hair.

Mara smiled. All the thoughts in her mind were of how strange this occurrence was. She never imagined Han Solo would be here, meeting two of her best friends. Leia and Luke soon walked over as well.

Mara introduced Luke to her friends and, before anyone could say another word, the bell rang, signaling it was time for homeroom.

Luke, Leia, Han, and Mara's friend Korra all had homeroom together, so they all left.

* * *

><p>Luke's seat was directly next to Leia's. He sat down, closely studying the environment around him.<p>

Han was sitting a few seats away, right next to Mara's friend. Luke looked next to him and saw Leia conversing with some other friends.

Luke sighed and turned to face the front. A few moments later, he felt someone tap his shoulder from behind. Luke had to resist the urge to Force-push whoever had the gall to invade his personal space, but he remembered he was at _school_. Not wanting to rethink about the whole mess that landed him here, he turned around in his chair to address the student sitting behind him.

A boy with hazel eyes and a wide grin nodded at Luke, "Hey, do I know you?"

Luke studied the boy. He had semi-long caramel colored hair—a neat bowl haircut, of sorts—and was wearing a school sports jacket over his uniform. Luke was immediately hit with the impression that this boy was one of those "jocks" that thought they owned the school.

Luke raised an eyebrow at the boy, "Of course."

The boy looked confused, "Really?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah, I'm that one kid. Remember?"

The boy chuckled from his nose. "I'm Camden. Camden Tain. But you can call me Cam."

"Luke." He only said.

More students were pouring into the room, finding their seats.

Camden shook his head, "I hate the first day of school. I literally stayed up all night until it was time to go to school because of stupid summer assignments."

Luke smiled, remembering what Leia said during the ride to school.

"Where did you move here from?" Camden continued.

Luke stared at the kid with a blank expression.

How could he have forgotten to think of a story to tell the other students? How did Leia Skywalker suddenly have a new twin brother that nobody knew about until today? There was no way he was going to tell these people the truth… That would just make things more unbearable for Luke than it already was.

Another thought suddenly struck him: what if people already knew? Would Luke be walking around the halls and then have students pointing at him? "_Oh yeah, that's Anakin Skywalker's son. He's the one that was kidnapped ten years ago…"_

Luke was unable to ponder the situation any longer when Han came over to where Luke and Camden were sitting.

"Uh, did you meet Han? He's new this year too." Luke said quickly, skipping Cam's question.

Camden didn't notice. He just smiled and nodded his head at Han. "What's up."

Han grinned. He was standing in between Luke and Camden's desks with his arms folded. "I was talking to Korra Steel over there." he pointed to the other side of the room where Korra was sitting, smiling at them as if anticipating something very amusing for her. "I asked her where the principal's office was and she told me to ask you because you'd know the way better…from past experiences."

Camden whipped his head to look at Korra—who was now laughing hysterically—and then looked back up at Han with a reddening face. "She's messing with you." He looked back over at Korra, "Good one, Steel!"

Before anyone could say anything more, the homeroom teacher walked into the room. All the students went back to their assigned seats. Luke turned back around in his chair.

Standard homeroom procedure commenced, and after ten minutes the bell for their first class finally rang.

Luke stood up and met Han at the door. Han was reading from his schedule on his school-issued data pad. "I have health first, you?"

Luke glanced down at his own school-issued data pad, "Same."

They started walking down the hall. Luke and Han looked around at the strangeness of the environment. On Corellia, there was not much diversity among humans—let alone different species. Here, there was a variety of all. However it was not in the bad sense. Padmé would never enroll her children in a school filled with the scum of Coruscant. All the students were noticeably well-off. In fact, the majority of the students were indeed humans. There were some other forms, but they all seemed to belong to good families.

Han scoffed. Luke looked at him.

"These people," Han said, "not my type."

Luke smiled and silently agreed. Only a few months ago, they were wanted galactic criminals. Now they were trying to fit in with the "upper" class. Luke almost envied the other kids, but not for materialistic reasons. They just attended school every day and did whatever they wanted as if they had no worries in the world.

Camden ran up to Luke and Han, "Hey, you guys have health first too?"

Han nodded, "Yeah, man."

Cam beamed, "Wizard."

The three entered the health room and located their assigned seats. They all sat in the same row with Han sitting in front of Camden and behind Luke. Luckily, they sat near the back of the class.

As first period officially began at 0800 hours, the teacher started going over the syllabus of the class.

Han turned halfway in his chair so he could see Luke and Cam on either side of him. Camden leaned in and whispered, "So you guys never told me where you're from."

Han smirked, "We just came back from a correctional school on Corellia."

Luke had to physically refrain from whipping his head in Han's direction. Instead, he coolly nodded at Han's story as if it was the real thing.

Camden frowned, "You came from a correctional school?"

Luke and Han exchanged looks and then nodded at Cam.

Cam looked taken aback, "What did you do that was so bad to make your parents decide to send you off to _correctional school_?"

Han chuckled. Luke tried to hide his smile, "When we were younger we… well, we're not allowed to talk about it."

Han nodded in agreement. Camden just stared at the two with amazement.

"We were both sent off to reform school for some attitude adjustments and an alternative education." Luke explained.

"But," Han continued, "our school counselors didn't do a very good job at monitoring our improvement."

Luke nodded, "We were caught in a robbery over the summer by Leia's dad and then sent to prison, and so Leia's dad decided that correctional school was not fitting for us because we were just being surrounded by more bad children. So we were enrolled here, in the Galactic City Academy."

Camden stared at the two boys with his jaw dropped. He shook his head, "Wait, when you said Leia's dad, did you mean Leia Skywalker?"

Han and Luke nodded.

"So like, Anakin Skywalker. You were _arrested_ by _Anakin Skywalker_."

Han and Luke nodded once more.

Camden looked overwhelmed, "That is the coolest thing I've ever heard in my life."

Han and Luke both glanced at each other, satisfied with their impressive half-lie.

They remained quiet for the rest of the period. Once the bell rang, signaling the end of first period, they three got up and left the classroom.

Camden walked in-between the two, still shaking his head in amazement. He led Luke and Han over to a group of his friends and then put both his arms around the new kids.

"Hey guys," Cam started, addressing his friends, "did you meet Luke and Han? These kids are _legends_."

Among Cam's group of friends was Mara Jade. She frowned at the three, "What do you mean?"

Cam removed his arms from around Luke and Han and just tugged at his backpack straps. "Can I tell them, Han?"

Han shrugged, smiling. "Sure, but Mara already knows."

Camden laughed, "These two are new. Just came back from a _correctional school_."

The kids in the circle all looked surprised and raised their eyebrows, including Mara.

"And," Cam continued, "the reason they came back to regular school was because they were arrested over the summer by a _Jedi_."

Mara's eyes popped out of her head, "Han! You told him that?!"

Han chuckled and shrugged, "I can't lie to people."

Luke laughed.

"Hey, let me introduce you to these guys." Cam pointed at a boy also wearing a sports jacket over his uniform, "That's Drake Hatkunas. He's my bro."

Drake nodded at Luke and Han, "'Sup."

Camden pointed at a girl, "That's Krystal Botans. She's my girlfriend."

Krystal rolled her eyes, "In your dreams, laser brain."

Camden chuckled and gestured towards another boy, "This is Austin Laker. He's the enemy."

Austin playfully narrowed his eyes at Camden, "I'll _kill_ you. Be careful."

Camden scrunched his nose playfully, "Feisty. And I'm guessing you already know Jade?"

Han and Luke nodded, smiling. Mara just shook her head slowly at the two boys, giving them her _you're so dead_ look.

The group separated, each student heading off to his or her own class. Luke discovered his next class was without Han, but instead with the girl he just met.

Krystal offered to show Luke the way to their following Language Arts class.

She decided to strike up a conversation, "Grammar is the worst."

Luke nodded, "I like talking like I don't know anything."

Krystal laughed, "Whatever you did to impress Tain must have been pretty good. He usually doesn't like new kids unless they join his sports team or something. He's the captain of the junior varsity slingball team, you know."

Luke shrugged, "I didn't know that. He asked where we came from and we told him. Nothing huge."

Krystal chuckled and stopped outside of the classroom. "Here we are."

Luke gestured with his hand, "Ladies first."

Krystal flashed him a grin and then entered the room. The two found their assigned seats—which were on opposite sides of the room—and sat down.

Krystal sat down next to her friend, Lilah Banx. Lilah smiled up at her.

"Hey, did you hear about the new kids?"

Lilah nodded enthusiastically, "Telina told me all about them first period."

Krystal nodded, "Shh, one of them is in this class."

Lilah turned around in her seat, searching. Krystal kicked her. Lilah frowned, "Ow."

Krystal rolled her eyes, "Don't look, he'll know we're talking about him."

Lilah sighed, "Fine. What does he look like?"

Krystal blushed, "I thought you said Telina told you about them?"

Lilah chuckled quietly, "She didn't say much, only that it must have hurt when they fell out of heaven."

Krystal burst out laughing. All the other students looked at her, so she covered it up by pretending to cough. She shook her head, "Of course Telina would say that. She's Corellian."

* * *

><p>Second period finally ended and Luke left the classroom. Krystal and Lilah met up with him outside.<p>

"Hey Luke, did you meet my friend Lilah?" Krystal smiled.

Luke smiled at Lilah, "Hey."

Lilah only grinned, a shy girl Luke figured.

"What's your next class?" Krystal asked.

Luke looked around the hall, "I have math… I think."

"You think?" Krystal repeated.

"Well, my schedule says I have math." Luke explained, "But the room number is weird. It's like not even in this building."

Right on cue, Leia ran up to Luke after sighting him. "Hey! Do you have math next?"

Luke nodded at Leia. Leia—who had been on a mission to find Luke—finally took in her surroundings. "Krystal! Lilah!"

The two girls chuckled. "Hey Leia, what're you up to?" Lilah asked.

Leia took out her schedule, "Just looking for my trouble-maker brother."

Krystal and Lilah both looked at Luke. Lilah frowned, "_You_ are her _brother_?!"

Luke shrugged, "Yeah."

Lilah looked at Leia questioningly, "Um, am I missing something here?"

Leia just stared at her brother when she addressed the other two girls, "Oh, maybe you haven't heard. He just came back from _correctional school_."

Luke bit his lip to cover his smile. Leia just rolled her eyes. She had heard the story last period when she had study hall with the infamous Camden Tain and watched him tell tons of students about his encounter with "real-life galactic criminals." He made it sound like the coolest thing ever.

"_Anyway_," Leia continued, "do you have math next?"

Luke nodded, "But—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Leia interrupted, "It's in a different building. You were probably placed in a ninth grade class."

Krystal and Lilah exchanged impressed looks.

Luke looked down at his schedule, "No, it says the tenth floor."

The three girls just stared at Luke, dumbfounded.

"What?"

Leia took Luke's schedule and stared at it. "How are you in a higher math class than me?"

Luke shrugged, "Shouldn't we go? We'll be late."

Leia nodded and then distractedly waved to her friends goodbye. The twins rushed to the nearest turbolift.

"Well, I'll be in the ninth grade wing if you need me." Leia said, and then exited the turbolift when her floor arrived. Luke then arrived at his floor next and exited. He looked for and found the room he was scheduled to be in and then entered.

The teacher looked up at him from her podium at the front of the classroom, "You're late."

"Sorry." Luke said, walking up to the teacher. "I was confused on where to go. I'm in eighth grade but I was scheduled for this class."

The teacher frowned and looked at her class roster. "Name?"

"Luke Skywalker."

The teacher froze and looked up at Luke. She studied him closely. She then looked back down at her list. "Well, you're on my roster. Take a seat."

Luke nodded and found the only available empty seat that was left for him. The teacher went on to explain the syllabus for the class and Luke completely zoned off until he felt someone next to him tap his shoulder. This was the second time someone did this, who did these Coruscanti people think they were?

Luke turned to face him.

"Hey, underclassman." The boy grinned.

Luke civilly nodded, "Hello."

The older boy shook his head, chuckling quietly, "I never seen a kid skip two grades in a subject before. You must be a geek!"

Another boy on the other side of Luke leaned in, "Don't listen to him, he's just kidding."

"Yeah, I am." The first boy smiled. "I'm Will, by the way. And that's Eli." He pointed to the other kid seated next to Luke. Eli smiled and nodded at Luke.

"Luke," Luke replied.

The boys all went back to paying attention to the teacher in front who was just about to begin introducing their first chapter. The students were so surprised when they saw an eighth year student taking a math course intended for students two years more advanced than him…however Luke was not. Luke had always been gifted in math. It came naturally to him, and he his skill in math throughout the years to help him on his adventures as a master-mind criminal. His talents were used for evil instead of good, much like everything else he had.

Luke's musings were interrupted by the bell that rang for their next class. Luke left the classroom and went back to his own floor.

He had history next. He entered the classroom and noticed almost all of his old and new friends. He sat in between Han and Leia who both smiled at him. He noticed Mara was in the room as well as Camden and all of his friends that he introduced to Luke. Leia nudged Luke.

"What?" Luke turned to his sister.

Leia smiled and gestured to the girl sitting behind her, "This is my friend Winter, did you meet her yet?"

Luke turned his head, "No, nice to meet you."

Winter smiled, "You too."

Leia was happy that she could finally introduce her brother to her best friend, "She's Senator Organa's niece. She lives with him in the same building as us, you know. A couple of floors below us."

Before anyone could say anything else, the teacher cleared his throat at the front of the room. "Hello class, and welcome to Clone Wars History."

* * *

><p>After history was over, it was time for lunch. Luke and Han were approached by their new friends to sit with them. They were introduced to a few more boys. Tekster Valeno, who was a skinny short boy with olive skin and short black hair, smiled at Luke and Han. Luke thought Tekster looked like a snake. Another boy nodded at the two, smiling. His name was Ronaldo Enniké and had dark brown hair and a mischievous-looking smile. Luke had a bad habit of judging people by first impressions, and thought that if Ronaldo and Han ever became too close, they would be a pair of two really bad trouble-makers.<p>

They talked for a good bit. Luke discovered that practically the whole school knew about Han and Luke's fake correctional school story. This was not a bad thing in Luke's opinion. Luke wanted people to believe this story. However it did make Luke aware that his new friend, Camden Tain, had a very big mouth. He told Han about this when they were alone at the end of the lunch period.

Han shook his head, "Cam _did_ tell a few people, but he doesn't have a big mouth."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? Then how come the whole school knows?"

Han chuckled, "Cam's best friend, Drake. Drake is the biggest man-gossiper I have ever met in my life. I had a few classes with him and he is hilariously obnoxious."

Luke nodded, "Interesting."

Luke also found out that everyone now knew he was Anakin Skywalker's son. Luke figured people would find out anyway, and it didn't help that Leia kept introducing him to everyone as her brother. So now Luke was the boy who was sent off to reform school on a different planet and then arrested by his own father. It was genius.

"You need to stop over-analyzing this." Han told Luke on the way to their next class, science, as they exited the cafeteria.

Luke frowned, "What do you mean?"

Han rolled his eyes, "I know you, Luke. You're over-attentive. You take note of all your surroundings and try to make sense out of them. But relax, it's only school. You don't need to run background checks on these people."

Luke opened his mouth to retort to Han's accusation, but was stopped by the arrival of their new friends.

"Nice meeting you two." Tekster waved, "We never get any new kids from Corellia."

Ronaldo nodded and chuckled, "Or reform schools."

The others laughed and so did Han. Soon, they were on their way to their next classes.

Luke and Han found some other newly-made friends in their biology class. The teacher was assigning lab partners, and Han discovered that his lab partner was none other than Leia Skywalker herself.

When they found out, Han just looked over to Leia and winked. Leia wanted to flip a desk over.

Luke smiled at his sister, sensing her anger in the Force. "Calm down, what's so bad with having Solo as your lab partner?"

Leia just her brother a look.

Luke chuckled, "Yeah, what was I thinking?"

Leia rolled her eyes, "Who is going to be doing all the work now? Me."

Luke nodded, "You are totally right. If there is one thing Han never does, its homework."

Leia groaned.

The class soon ended and Han walked up to the twins and put an arm around Leia's shoulder, "Hey, partner!"

Leia shook Han's arm off of her, "I don't like your definition of _partner_."

Han rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, Leia. I'm not as bad as Luke probably told you I was. If there is one thing I'm really good at doing, it's homework."

Leia sighed and left the classroom. Han looked taken aback, "What's her deal?"

Luke shrugged, "She's one of those people that care about school, I guess."

Han rolled his eyes, "Me too!"

Luke nodded, "Right."

Han pouted, "You're being sarcastic."

* * *

><p>Luke's final class of the day wasn't even a real class. He had study hall. He was sitting at a table in the cafeteria with two other upperclassmen. The study hall was supposed to be quiet, so nobody said anything. Luke rested his cheek on his hand and mused about his first day. It was definitely much different than school on Corellia in countless ways.<p>

He was relieved when school was finally over for the day. He went over to his locker where he saw Leia.

She turned to him and smiled, "So, how was school?"

Luke frowned, "Okay?"

Leia raised an eyebrow, "Okay, I can see that was an awkward question."

Luke cracked a smile.

The twins made their way outside to where their father was waiting in his speeder.

"How was your first day?" Anakin asked as Luke and Leia got in.

Leia got all animated and immediately jumped into all of the excitement of the first day.

Anakin smiled, listening to his daughter's stories and nodding at all the right places all while transporting them back home. "Sounds like you had a good time."

Leia was beaming, "It was the best. Everyone was so friendly to Luke, too. Right, Luke?"

Luke shrugged, not really caring.

Leia rolled her eyes, "Okay, fine. But get this, you know Han Solo?"

Anakin kept his gaze on the traffic in front of him but nodded, "Ah, unfortunately."

Luke smiled.

Leia chuckled, "Well he was so outgoing, I never would have expected it. Actually, yes I would have… He's such an outgoing person; he just went straight up to all these girls and introduced himself and everything. It was so funny."

Anakin chuckled along with her.

Leia turned around and looked at her brother, "How did you become friends with such a social person, yet you are so quiet?"

Luke raised an eyebrow, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Leia shrugged, "Everything."

* * *

><p>When they got home, Luke immediately went to his room. He was contemplating the idea of his public education all day. Maybe going to school was a good thing? Maybe going to school meant he could avoid Anakin and the rest of the Jedi.<p>

He still never told Anakin about the comlink. It was still hiding in the back of his closet under several layers of clothes and other stuff. He honestly didn't even know _how_ he would tell him, much less if he wanted to.

How would he even start the conversation? "Oh hey Anakin, did I mention that my former Sith father has constructed a secret super-weapon that could be used to terrorize the galaxy when he chooses to take over?"

No, that wouldn't work too well.

Besides, why did Luke even _need_ to tell him? He felt so out of place in the Skywalker home, even though he'd been here for the whole summer. As much as he didn't want to think about it, part of him felt like he was still Vader's apprentice. If he did anything to betray his master, there would be severe consequences.

Before the end of summer, Han Solo made a point that kept Luke long awake for several nights. Luke basically switched extremes. He went from the Dark Lord of the Sith conspiring to take over the galaxy, to the Jedi Master poster boy of the Republic. But even though he was living in a Jedi's home, did that mean he actually switched sides? Is that what _Anakin_ believed?

Even if he were to blurt out all of Vader's secrets, would anyone believe him? Vader organized his underground 'rebellion' in a manner so secretive, no one could ever suspect a thing. How was Luke supposed to just randomly expose to everyone that "Oh yeah, there has been a Sith Lord plotting your downfall this whole time."

Highly unlikely.

Luke would just have to remain neutral. He had severed his ties to his father long ago, yet something held him back from revealing the truth about what's really going on in the galaxy. Yes, he should just remain neutral.

Luke mentally scoffed, _yeah right_.

Somehow, he was going to be sucked into the fight. Sooner or later, the Jedi will know of Vader's plan. But it might be too late to do anything about it…

Did that bother Luke? Was Luke okay with the fact that Vader was going to keep hidden until he could find the one day to call the apocalypse? A revolution. He would threaten anyone in his way with his mighty Death Star and fierce army. So many star systems were already secretly allied with Vader. Approximately half the Senate was either a Socialist or a Loyalist spy. The Supreme Chancellor himself was just a puppet controlled by the Sith Lord.

Luke sighed. There was no point in trying to tell Anakin anything. He should just stick to his new school. It was too late; they were all going to die anyway.


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

A whole week had gone by.

Luke was still adjusting to his new life, but it became much easier once school began. He was able to see his old friends as well as his new ones. The people at this school were surprisingly non-judgmental and, for lack of better words, _cool_. Luke thought it was funny that everyone seriously thought he and Han just came from a correctional school. He was glad Leia didn't say anything about it. She would just roll her eyes whenever she heard the story.

The only thing that bothered Luke was the fact that everyone seemed to think he was some sort of Jedi. There were definitely people who knew that a Luke Skywalker existed. Luke's family was famous and whenever he was kidnapped it must have been all over the news. But when people saw Luke again, most of them never really thought he had actually been missing these past ten years. Even the teachers, who were old enough to remember what happened, thought nothing of it. They figured that any child of a Jedi Master and a senator could not be missing for a whole decade. The news probably made a huge deal about it in the first place, but then Luke was found maybe a few days later and his parents simply did not want the media all over it. They figured the reason Leia attended school and Luke did not was because Luke was supposed to train as a Jedi like his father.

Luke did nothing to refute these thoughts, no matter how much it irked him. The story made no sense anyway. How could Luke train as a Jedi all this time and then randomly start going to school? Why? Besides, he was never Anakin's apprentice. Didn't people know Anakin used to have an actual apprentice named Nathan? The story made no sense at all.

That is why Luke made up the whole reform school phenomenon. It actually _made sense_.

Whenever they were at school, Luke, Leia, Mara, and Han all agreed to keep their mouths shut about anything that was not school-related. For example, the comlink incident that happened in the summer. Speaking of which, Luke still never told his friends what happened to the comlink. It was too risky. In fact, Luke was too afraid to keep the comlink at home whenever he was at school—even if Anakin was away on a Jedi mission. Luke began to just carry the comlink around everywhere.

_Everywhere_.

Even at school, Luke kept the comlink safely hidden in his pocket. Luke couldn't take the chance of it falling into the wrong hands—particularly Anakin's.

Luke was stupid to think this would actually ever work though. Someone was going to find out sooner or later.

Especially when Luke was careless enough to accidently drop the comlink on his bedroom floor one morning before school…

* * *

><p>C-3PO shuffled around the house, cleaning. He had long since ceased his complaints that he was not a <em>cleaning<em> droid. He was a protocol droid for human-cyborg relations. Indeed, Padmé often used him for such purposes. But on days like today when Padmé was off her Senate duties, C-3PO was reduced to a house droid.

He was in Luke's room dusting the furniture when he came across a peculiar-looking comlink on the floor. C-3PO thought nothing of it and bent down to pick up the device. It looked similar to Master Anakin's, he thought. He took the comlink to Anakin and Padmé's room and set it on the nightstand. He then left to complete other chores around the house.

Meanwhile, Padmé was in the foyer, tending to her flowers specially imported from Naboo. Then all of a sudden, through the window she saw her husband's speeder park outside with her husband hastily climbing out of the vehicle, tripping over his own cloak.

Padmé chuckled and shook her head, returning her attention back to her plants. A few minutes later, Anakin was running around the house.

Padmé set the spray-bottle that she was using for the flowers down. "Anakin, what are you doing?"

Anakin was in the living room, looking under the couches. "I'm searching for my comlink!" He said, his voice muffled from underneath the couch.

Padmé rolled her eyes, "Did you look in our room?"

Anakin didn't answer; he just kept running around, frantically looking for his device.

Padmé sighed and went upstairs. This happened every time Anakin lost something. She went into the bedroom and found a comlink on the nightstand. She picked it up and took it down to Anakin.

"Is this it?" Padmé held the comlink out to her husband.

Anakin, who had been looking inside jars in the kitchen, looked up at his wife and smiled. He took the comlink and placed a kiss on her cheek, "Thank you."

She followed Anakin out to his speeder and watched him get in. "Why do you need it so urgently anyway?"

Anakin smiled, "I needed to show the Council something that I found out on my last mission to Cato Neimoda. Just some statistical data about the whole distribution of clones." He rolled his eyes, "Ever since that bill was passed in the Senate, this is all the Council has been talking about."

Padmé nodded and waved, "I'll see you tonight, then."

Anakin smiled, and waved back.

* * *

><p>"There you are." Obi-Wan remarked as Anakin ran down the steps of one of the many presentation rooms in the Temple.<p>

Anakin held out his comlink, "I found it!"

Mace Windu and Ki-Adi Mundi, who have just been sitting on the far end corner of the room, got up and joined the other two Jedi Masters.

"So, what exactly is this?" Windu asked Anakin.

"Just a few charts and maps of the planet, nothing much." Anakin replied. "An example of how other planets will be making us of the distribution of the clones."

"Here," Obi-Wan reached out his hand for the comlink, "I'll connect it to the large projector."

Anakin nodded and handed the comlink over. He went over to where Windu and Mundi were standing to further explain the situation to them. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was studying the comlink.

He frowned, "Anakin, did you get a new comlink?"

Anakin turned around, "No, what do you mean?"

Obi-Wan shrugged, "I don't know, this one just looks different."

"I go through at least five comlinks a year." Anakin shrugged, "Maybe you just don't remember what my new one looked like."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "I'm not that old." he muttered. He connected the device to the projector and a large holographic image appeared, casting a soft blue hue around the room.

Obi-Wan frowned.

Anakin, Windu, and Mundi turned around to look at the image. Anakin raised his eyebrows, "What's that?"

Obi-Wan shrugged, "It's _your_ comlink."

Anakin walked up to the projector and leaned down to examine the comlink, "I… This is…not…"

Windu and Mundi glanced at each other.

"Well, what is it?" Windu asked, referring to the image.

From the port, a large blue holographic image of some sort of orb was projected.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at Anakin, "Is this a joke, Anakin?"

Anakin shook his head, completely confused. "I swear, I don't know what this is. This isn't my comlink. It…"

Anakin frowned, thinking hard. Padmé had given the comlink to him, thinking it was his. That meant that it couldn't have been Padmé's. Was it Luke or Leia's? He knew none of them had their own comlinks…

The realization hit him.

Anakin pointed to the comlink, "That's it! That is what Cad Bane wanted."

Anakin had previously told the Council about the predicament he found Luke and Leia in one night. He explained to them the whole ordeal about the comlink and Cad Bane. To most of the Council, the name "Cad Bane" was not something heard of since the Clone Wars.

Obi-Wan took another look at the projection, "Bane wanted your son to steal _this_ for him? Why? What is it?"

Anakin began playing around with the images, quickly observing all the content on the comlink. "Plans, of some sort."

"Is this some sort of spherical ship?" Mundi wondered.

Windu frowned, "Why would Bane want the plans to a spherical ship?"

Obi-Wan reached up to stroke his beard, "A weapon?"

Anakin nodded, "This is definitely some sort of weapon. These plans are all written in code, though. We'd never be able to decode it…"

"Unless?" Obi-Wan probed.

Anakin sighed, "Unless what?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Is Anakin Skywalker giving up already?"

Anakin took a deep breath. He was in no mood to joke. He felt as if his world was spinning too fast for him to catch up to it now. He was surprised Luke lied to him about the comlink, even though he probably shouldn't be. Either way, it still hurt.

"You need to bring him here." Windu said, "We have delayed this far too long. There is no going back for him; he's on our side now. And he must tell us everything there is to know."

Anakin looked down at the floor and then nodded slowly, "You're right, we've put this off for too long."

The four Jedi Masters looked at each other, coming to an agreement.

Luke Skywalker would come before them tomorrow morning, and he would bring all of his secrets with him.

* * *

><p><strong>For those of you who might have been wondering, Cad Bane is an actual character. If you watch <strong>**_Star Wars: Clone Wars_**** on Cartoon Network or something, he's actually there. I didn't just make him up. Anyway, this chapter is a lot shorter than the last one, but that's because I'm going to be updating far more frequently from now on. I already have the next several chapters written. Thanks for all of the reviews!**


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

Leia skipped down the stairs happily with her book bag slung over her shoulder and a smile plastered on her face.

Luke looked at her skeptically, "Happy much?"

Leia chuckled, "I always love it when Dad is off and takes us to school!"

Luke rolled his eyes. The twins headed out to the landing pad where Anakin was already waiting in the speeder. Luke got in the front passenger seat and Leia hopped in the back.

The entire ride was spent with Leia asking Anakin all sorts of questions about his last mission.

"Leia, I already told you all of this last night."

Leia smiled sheepishly, "Not really, you didn't go into much detail."

Anakin rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to answer, but Leia interrupted him with her next set of questions, "So where's your next mission?"

Anakin sighed, "Chandrila."

Leia nodded, "All in the Core Worlds lately. When is it?"

Anakin bit his lip, "Well, it was canceled."

Leia and Luke both looked up at Anakin with questioning looks.

Anakin tilted his head a little, "Well, it wasn't _canceled_. But Ahsoka and Jerome are going in my place."

"Why are Master Tano and her Padawan going instead of you?" Leia asked.

Anakin pulled up to the school parking lot, "Something came up and the Council is having an emergency meeting today."

Leia nodded and grabbed her bag to get out.

"A meeting that will include you today, Luke."

Luke—whose hand was on the side door handle, about to get out—whipped his head towards Anakin. "What?"

Anakin nodded slowly, "Leia, go on ahead. You don't want to be late."

Leia stared at Anakin, completely puzzled. She shook her head once and then got out of the speeder.

Luke continued to glare at Anakin as Leia exited the craft. Anakin looked into Luke's eyes, contemplating. Who really was this boy that was sitting right next to him?

He turned around and resumed flying the speeder. Luke turned forward to sit properly in his seat with his arms folded in front of him. This was not going to be good. He just knew it…

* * *

><p>The ride was silent as they headed towards the Temple. Once they arrived, they climbed out of the vehicle without a word exchanged between them.<p>

Anakin led Luke down to the same presentation room he was using yesterday. Luke noticed that more than half the Council members were present. They were all standing around a large circular table that served as a holo projector. Luke walked up to the table along with Anakin. He looked up at Anakin, hoping for an explanation. However Anakin was looking over at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan nodded at Anakin and pulled out a comlink from his belt. Luke couldn't clearly see it because he was standing opposite from him on the other side of the table.

"We recently came across a very peculiar item." Master Windu began.

Luke doubled up his mental shields and tried clearing his thoughts. This wasn't going to be good, and he didn't want to look guilty for something he didn't even know about yet.

Anakin noticed this.

Obi-Wan connected the comlink to the projector. A second later, an image of the Death Star flashed across the board.

Luke felt a wave of heat flash over him, but he instantly tried to appear calm. As inconspicuously as possible, Luke reached down and placed his hands in both of his pockets. He felt around for Malindaar's comlink.

It wasn't there.

Luke wanted to kick himself. How could he have not noticed it missing? How long have the Jedi had it? Had he grown weak and careless?

Anakin was watching Luke's reaction closely. He definitely noticed Luke searching around his pockets, wondering why the comlink was not on his person.

This only confirmed Anakin's suspicions.

"So this is the comlink that Cad Bane went out of his way to make sure you got for him." Anakin stated.

Luke neither denied nor confirmed.

"And for some reason," Anakin continued, "Bane came to the conclusion that _you_ were the only person who could carry out the job."

Luke slightly frowned. He had never thought of it that way.

"So now…" Anakin said, looking back up at the image of the mysterious floating orb, "we are wondering _why_."

All the other Masters were staring at him intently, their eyes burning into his skin. Luke took a deep breath, "I don't know."

Anakin looked down at him and raised an eyebrow, "You don't know why he wanted you to find this?"

Luke shrugged, looking up at Anakin with a serious face. "Nope."

Anakin had a hard time believing that.

"What is this?" Windu asked, gesturing his arm up towards the hologram.

Luke shrugged again, not saying anything.

"If you don't know what it is," Master Mundi started, "then why were you so reluctant to give it to Cad Bane?"

Obi-Wan nodded, "Why did you keep it for yourself?"

Luke was becoming overwhelmed. He was getting intimidated by all of these tough Jedi Masters grilling him with questions. What would happen if he answered truthfully? Would they arrest him…again?

"So you honestly have never seen this thing before?" Anakin probed.

Luke shook his head slowly, looking up at the menacing Death Star.

Anakin frowned, "If you don't know what this is, why didn't you just get rid of it? Why did you feel the need to carry it around every day? What did you hope to accomplish?"

Luke took a deep breath, "I don't know! I don't know what I was thinking. Obviously I didn't intend to just carry it around forever since I _dropped it_."

The masters in the room just glanced around at each other. They knew Luke was avoiding the truth.

Obi-Wan began playing around with the information on the comlink. Anakin looked down at Luke, waiting.

Luke glanced up at him.

Anakin sighed, "Luke, please. We need to know what this is and why Cad Bane wanted it."

"He probably just wanted it for something stupid like blackmail."

"Blackmail who?" Anakin inquired.

Luke shrugged, "Whoever owns this comlink?"

"Telling by these plans," Obi-Wan said, "this is some sort of weapon. Correct?"

Luke shrugged, "Sure."

"So are our lives all endangered by this thing?" Plo Koon asked.

Luke shrugged again.

Anakin folded his arms across his chest. "Interesting…"

Mace Windu and Ki-Adi Mundi both glanced at each other. Windu faced the rest of the circle of masters, "Why don't we go situate ourselves somewhere more comfortable?"

* * *

><p>At first, Luke thought Windu meant he wanted to go to the Council chambers. Instead, they retreated to a more comforting—and less menacing—lounge area.<p>

Luke sat in between Obi-Wan and Anakin on a sofa. The Masters all sat around him. It was kind of peculiar to see such high-ranking people in such a casual setting. Luke reasoned that they did this on purpose to loosen the information from Luke more easily.

There was an awkward silence as Luke watched the Masters all silently communicate to one another over the issue. Luke mentally sighed.

Windu cleared his throat and Luke looked at him.

"How about we start with the name?" Windu stated.

Luke lowered his eyes. What was the point of avoiding it any longer? The Jedi all knew that Luke knows something about the comlink. He couldn't lie to _Jedi_.

Luke expelled a deep breath. "The Death Star."

Obi-Wan frowned, "_Death_ Star?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "_The_ Death Star."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows.

"So it is a weapon." Anakin said bluntly, making it sound less like a question and more like a statement.

Luke nodded once.

The Masters all looked around to one another.

"What does it do?" Anakin asked.

Luke bit his lip, "Well… It blows things up…"

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"The plans make this weapon seem as if it is almost the size of a small moon or something… A really _large_ space station." Obi-Wan said.

Luke closed his eyes, hoping that the next thing he said would not get him sent to prison again or something. "Well, it actually holds enough fire power to destroy an entire planet with one shot."

Silence.

Luke opened his eyes and looked around.

The Masters all gawked at Luke, unsure of what to say. Luke looked up at Anakin who seemed to be actually mortified. Could Jedi Masters _be_ mortified?

Yoda spoke for the first time that day, "To build this weapon, how much more time do they need?"

Luke looked at Yoda with serious eyes, "It is already built, and fully operational."


	35. Chapter 35

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

Luke was sitting in his room at his window, watching as all the speeders flew past. He felt his sister walk into his room.

"Everyone missed you at school today." Leia said, while standing at the door.

Luke didn't answer and just kept staring out the window.

Leia walked in and sat on his bed, sighing. "I begged Dad to tell me forever, but he wouldn't. Please, I promise I won't tell anyone. What happened today at the Temple?"

Luke didn't answer again.

Leia huffed and stood up, "Fine, be that way."

She walked up to the door and then looked back. Luke was still at the window. "By the way," She said, her tone a bit softer, "Mom said it's time for dinner."

Luke didn't respond, and so she left.

Leia went downstairs to the living room and saw her parents whispering to each other. Leia frowned and took a step closer, but once her father caught her staring, he cleared his throat loudly and stood up. Padmé snapped her head in Leia's direction and then sighed as if she was relieved it was just Leia—and not Luke.

"What were you two talking about?" Leia asked suspiciously.

Anakin ignored her and looked down at Padmé, "Come on, we have to go."

Leia frowned, "Go where? I thought we were going to eat dinner now…?"

Padmé stood up and walked over to Leia. She put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and mustered up a sympathetic smile. "Listen, your father and I need to go over to the Jedi Temple for a couple of hours. Stay here and _keep an eye on your brother_. You're in charge until we get back."

Leia frowned, looking at the floor, "What do you mean? What did Luke do?"

Padmé shook her head, "Nothing. He didn't do anything. Just watch him. Make sure he doesn't…go anywhere."

Leia looked up at her father who seemed to be unusually serious. Both of her parents were. She just nodded her head. Under normal circumstances, she would have pestered her parents more to get some information from them. However, they seemed too serious to mess with right now.

She watched as her parents climbed into Anakin's speeder. They flew off into the sunset, in the direction of the Jedi Temple. Leia pursed her lips. She wanted to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

><p>Anakin and Padmé walked down the large empty hallway of the Jedi Temple. It was unusually quiet. The only sound to be heard came from the couple's footsteps as they made their way to the same briefing room that Anakin was in this morning.<p>

Padmé was a long-time friend of the Jedi. Her opinions and thoughts on this matter were welcome. When the couple entered the room, they saw all the members of the Council in attendance. Padmé was the only outsider so far.

She leaned into Anakin's ear, "I thought you said other leaders of the Loyalist Party were coming."

Anakin shook his head, "Only you and maybe Senators Mothma and Organa."

Padmé frowned, "Why?"

Anakin sighed, "Luke told us that Firmus Piett was a spy. We didn't want to risk it with anyone else."

Padmé's eyes widened. She was speechless.

* * *

><p>The evening was chaotic and frazzling.<p>

Bail Organa shot up in the air from his seat, "Not possible! Simply _not_ possible! It would take a _thousand_ starships to even come close to destroying an entire planet. Not possible!"

Mon Mothma stood up and put her hand on his shoulders as if trying to calm him down, "Listen to me, Bail. We both know the Socialists are capable of such monstrosity. I've been saying it for years."

Bail shook his head, "This is bantha fodder. They're a political party—not…_separatists!_" He whipped around to look at Padmé who was just sitting down next to Anakin with her head in her hands. She had a headache.

"Padmé," Bail said on a softer note, "I know you want to believe your son, but…"

Padmé looked up at him with weary eyes, "But what?"

"But _come on!_" He said, exasperated.

The other Jedi Masters were tired of this too. Plo Koon held the same opinion as the Viceroy of Alderaan. "Perhaps this is a ruse? Perhaps Cad Bane sent your son to retrieve this comlink hoping it would throw us off on the wrong trail?"

"Yes, we all know Cad Bane is a bounty hunter bum." Bail Organa nodded, "He hasn't done anything since the Clone Wars. Why is he suddenly popping up?"

"Um, maybe because he was in cahoots with a secret Empire?" Mon Mothma said as if it was obvious. "He went into hiding for thirteen years doing secret Empire business, and now he's back!"

Anakin shook his head, "It doesn't matter, Luke knew about the Death Star long before that incident."

Plo Koon shook his head again, "Perhaps this comlink was just an excuse for him to _have_ to tell us."

Anakin frowned and looked up at Master Koon, "What are you suggesting?"

Koon shrugged, "That your son may be a spy? That your son may be _lying?"_

Anakin stood up, "He's not lying! Master _Yoda_ believed him!"

Koon sighed and looked over at Master Yoda. The powerful green creature stroked his chin with his fingers. "Believed him, I did. But more proof of this, we need."

Anakin sighed, "How are we going to do that?"

Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes, how? The only information we ever received about any 'secretive Empire' was handed to us directly. We didn't search for this comlink, we _found_ it."

Mace Windu stood up and walked over to the projection of the Death Star that was rotating in the middle of the room. He switched off the projection. "Well then, we need to _find_ more proof."

"How do you suggest we do that, Master Windu?" Senator Mothma asked.

Windu looked at the Senator. He didn't need to say anything more. Everyone already knew what had to be done.

* * *

><p>Leia knew that if anything happened to Luke, it would be all her fault because her mother specifically told her to watch him. So her paranoia compelled her to sit in Luke's room and try to remain as inconspicuous as possible as she kept a watchful eye.<p>

She sat on his bed, reading a holozine, while Luke kept in the same spot he was in all day since he came back from the Temple: sitting at the window with his knees pulled up as he watched the commotions outside.

"So what do you think they're doing over there?" Leia asked casually as she kept her eyes on the holozine.

Luke shrugged, not really in the mood to talk about it.

"Are you in trouble or something?"

Luke sighed and looked at his sister. _Was_ he in trouble? He had simply done what the Council asked of him. He told them all about the Death Star. Luke could understand why the Jedi may be freaking out. The fact that none of them knew about this monstrous weapon is unnerving because it showed how powerful Darth Vader really is.

His doubts and regrets resurfaced once again.

Luke could have remained with Vader. He could have remained on the winning side. Why was he so stupid? Why did he have to run away?

Luke looked back out the window. After spending so much time with the Skywalkers, he almost forgot how much he hated his life before as well. He remembered all the times he would temporarily escape the wrath of his master and go sit out on the empty roof of a tall Corellian skyscraper in the middle of Coronet City, overseeing the city. It was his home for almost a whole decade. He was a very independent person—he had been all his life. He hated being around people, especially his family. Jared was at least somewhat bearable, but everyone else just made Luke's life miserable.

Luke looked back at Leia, who was innocently reading her holozine. _No, _he thought_, I'm doing the right thing here. Just because _I_ was terrorized by Darth Vader doesn't mean the whole galaxy needs to be._

But then part of him missed the thrill. His life meant something when he was a Sith apprentice. Here, he was just another boy who went to school. Besides, if the Jedi Order—the protector of peace in the galaxy—only learned about Darth Vader's evil weapon today, then the Republic had truly fallen.

* * *

><p>It had become very late. Luke was still sitting at the window until it began to rain very hard all of a sudden. Luke quickly moved to close the window and retreat back to the other side of his room where he could sit in an area not covered in water.<p>

He noticed that his sister had dozed off on his bed, her holozine still in her hands. Luke exited his room.

The whole house was very dark, only illuminated by the lights from outside that penetrated through the windows. Luke heard the soft hissing sound from a door opening coming from downstairs. Luke slowly made his way down the steps to investigate.

From behind a pillar near the stairs, Luke could make out the silhouette of a tall man wearing a long cloak enter through the house.

Luke's eyes widened. There was no way…

Luke's worries didn't last long because soon after the man entered, a woman followed him in and turned on the lights.

It was just Anakin and Padmé.

Padmé went up to her husband. "Are we going to tell him?" she whispered.

"I—" Anakin began, but then snapped his head over to where Luke was standing in the darkness of the stairwell.

Anakin sighed, "Come, Luke."

Padmé activated all the lights and the three of them sat down in the living room. Padmé and Anakin sat next to each other in front of Luke.

Luke didn't say anything. He had no outward expression of any emotion. He just stared into Anakin's eyes.

Anakin cleared his throat, "Um," he looked at Padmé. She just looked at him and nodded and then turned her attention to Luke. She was studying the boy, her son, who she hardly knew.

"We sat down, and we talked about it." Anakin said.

Padmé nodded, "We didn't know who to trust. We figured we couldn't call the _Chancellor_ to come sit with us."

Luke nodded.

"So it that it?" Padmé asked, "Is it every single Socialist that we need to beware of?"

Luke looked down at his fingers on his lap and shook his head, "There are many Loyalist spies."

"Like Piett." Anakin interjected.

Luke nodded.

Padmé sighed and looked away. Piett was supposed to be one of her closest friends in the Senate.

Luke shook his head, overhearing her thoughts. He didn't look at her when he spoke, "If you knew all the things Piett did to you, you would never be able to look him in the eye without wanting to kill him."

Padmé and Anakin exchanged wary looks. Anakin let out a nervous chuckle, "Did you forget that your mother is an extreme pacifist? She wouldn't hurt a bug."

Luke looked up at him, "I know."

Padmé just frowned and looked at Luke, trying to figure him out.

Anakin clasped his hands together, "Well, the only senators there were your mother, Mon Mothma, and Bail Organa. Is that okay?"

Luke shrugged.

"They didn't take the news very well." Padmé told Luke. "At first, Bail thought this was a joke. Mon, however, was a little more open about the seriousness of this weapon. I think she was anticipating something like this from the Socialists."

"It's not just the Socialists." Luke said, "Socialism is just the guise for the emergence of this new party—Vader's party. Socialists are not the center of this. They're just puppets in the game."

Padmé pursed her lips, "Alright. Well, we still can't trust them, right?"

"Do they all answer directly to the Sith?" Anakin asked.

Luke shook his head, "No, just a few of them. The important ones. The leaders."

"Well," Anakin started, "we'll need to go over the specific ones tomorrow."

Padmé nodded solemnly, staring at Luke with wide eyes. "The only way to learn more about this is from the Socialists, since they are the most obvious members of this secret 'Empire'. We have to do this very covertly if we want to be successful. It means we cannot include any government agencies. We cannot rely on the Ministry of Intelligence in helping us. We cannot inform them at all."

"We cannot tell the Chancellor anything," Anakin said, "making this operation something like volunteer work. It cannot be made official by the Jedi Order. We are going to be working under the law."

Luke looked between his mother and father, "What do you mean, what exactly are you going to do?"

Anakin and Padmé looked at each other and then back at their son.

Anakin took a deep breath, "We are going to the Death Star."


	36. Chapter 36

**Believe it or not, today marks the one-year anniversary of this story! To those of you still reading, thank you so much! And thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed! When you're done, please read the little—er, large—note I left at the bottom. Thanks!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX<strong>

Luke stared at Anakin incredulously.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Padmé bit her lip, "We're not actually going to the Death Star ourselves, honey."

Luke shook his head, "You better not. For a minute there I thought you two lost your minds."

Anakin smiled, "We're sending a spy. But don't worry; it will be a long time from now. We first have to do research… a lot of it."

Padmé nodded and stood up. She walked over to Luke and put a hand on his shoulder, "Come, Luke. It's late and you have school tomorrow."

Luke nodded and stood up. "Leia kind of fell asleep in my room though."

Padmé smiled at Luke, "I'll go take care of her."

Padmé walked up the stairs to Luke's room, leaving Luke and Anakin alone.

Anakin stood up and crossed his arms, "I'm very curious, Luke."

Luke looked up at his father, "What do you mean?"

Anakin frowned, "What is it that Piett did that was so bad that _Padmé_ would want to kill him?"

Luke looked away, "You don't want to know."

Anakin looked down, thinking hard. Now was not the time to ask Luke his dark secrets. It was almost midnight and everyone was so tired. He patted Luke's back, "Go to bed."

* * *

><p>After sending the twins off to school the next morning, Anakin made his way over to the Temple. He met up with Obi-Wan in the Jedi Archives.<p>

"Oh, good." Obi-Wan said, "You're here. Here, take a look at this."

Obi-Wan handed Anakin a holocron containing information on every time a disturbance in the Force was recorded by the Jedi Council. Every single disturbance had a reason except for one.

"Do you remember that one?" Obi-Wan asked. "We were all in the High Council Chambers, discussing who knows what. All of a sudden we felt a jolt in the Force."

Anakin nodded slowly, remembering the day very well. "You said something about how it felt as if a million voices—"

"Suddenly cried out in terror and was suddenly silenced, yes." Obi-Wan finished. "I felt that something terrible had happened."

"And you think that it was because of this _Death Star_." Anakin said, making his question sound like a statement.

Obi-Wan nodded. He ran a finger through his graying hair, "I feel as if Luke needs to be here with us. We need to ask him a few questions."

Anakin nodded, "I'll pick him up as soon as school finishes."

Obi-Wan was silent for a moment.

"What is it, Master?"

Obi-Wan sighed, "The others are not comfortable with having such serious information being told to us by a mere thirteen year-old."

Anakin looked down at his lap, "I know."

"I believe him, though." Obi-Wan said and Anakin looked up. "I trust him."

* * *

><p>Once school was over, Anakin went to pick the twins up and take them to the Jedi Temple.<p>

"Leia, you go wait somewhere else while I take Luke down back to the Archives." Anakin told his daughter.

Leia sighed, "Fine…"

Luke followed his father down past the many shelves in the large Jedi Archives. They met Obi-Wan Kenobi at a desk.

Obi-Wan looked at Luke and smiled, "Hello, Luke. Sorry to have to bother you with some more questions, but this is vitally important or I wouldn't ask."

Luke shrugged, "Go ahead."

Obi-Wan smiled, "Do you remember when the Death Star became fully operational?"

Luke sighed, "Yes, I do. At first, I didn't know it was a weapon. I thought it was just a space station. Vader kept it a secret from everyone, even me. Only a few important people knew about it in the beginning. The number of people grew as the space station neared its completion. By the time its weapons were fully functioning, everyone at the table knew about it."

Anakin frowned, "The _table_?"

Luke nodded, "Anyone and everyone who's important has a seat at the table. Vader sits at the head and then the most important people sit up near him. As you go down the table, your level of importance decreases. Of course, _everyone_ on the table is important… but some more than others."

Anakin frowned and looked at Obi-Wan.

Luke's lips curled into a small smile, "If you can imagine, the Supreme Chancellor sits halfway down the table…to symbolize Vader's power over him and his prominence."

Anakin rubbed his eyes. Obi-Wan just sighed. Nobody liked to hear the bad news that the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic was just a figure head and that the galaxy was more or less ruled by an evil Dark Lord of the Sith.

"I remember the day like it was just yesterday..." Luke mused.

_Luke had never before in his life felt so much excitement and anticipation from people. Today was the day the Death Star was scheduled to make its first weaponry test. Luke arrived to the space station late last night and was awakened early this morning by all of the commotion._

_Jared and Aria had already gone up to the control room to get a close-up view of the Death Star's most powerful weapon. It would be making its debut later in the evening._

_Vader had chosen the planet Dosuun to sacrifice in the name of the Death Star. It was a planet out in Wild Space, insignificant to the Republic and will surly go unmissed._

_"Why doesn't he just evacuate the people from the planet?" Malindaar asked Admiral Daala in a hushed tone._

_"Because, you idiot," Luke heard Daala reply, "if news gets out about an evacuation, people will start asking questions."_

_Luke then watched as the Director of Imperial Intelligence walked up to the Admiral and Supreme Chancellor._

_"Admiral," Ysanne Isard said, "shouldn't you be up in Command helping Motti prepare the station for its test?"_

_Daala rolled her eyes, "Shouldn't you be somewhere else telling people what to do?"_

_Isard shrugged, smirking at her foe. "I was merely reminding you of your job. Vader won't want to hear about your poor job performance on one of the most important days of Empire history."_

_She soon walked away and then Daala stuck her tongue out in Isard's direction behind her back._

_Malindaar shook his head, "You're such a child sometimes, Tas."_

_Natasi Daala shrugged and walked over to the turbolift with Malindaar to get up to the command room._

_Luke went to go search for his father. He found Vader in his quarters, gazing out at the vast blackness of outer space. _

_"Are you coming, Father?" Luke asked, standing in the doorway of his father's large quarters._

_Vader nodded and turned around to follow his apprentice, his long black cloak sweeping behind him._

_Luke walked alongside his master as they made their way up to the command room. Luke looked up at Vader._

_Vader was deep in thought. All of his life's work came down to today—whether or not this space station would work._

_When Luke and Darth Vader finally arrived, everyone from the table—as well as Jared, Aria, and any other technician needed to work the controls—was present. Vader stepped closer to Admiral Daala._

_"We're in range." Daala confirmed, looking up at the Dark Lord._

_Vader nodded, "Fire when ready."_

_There was definitely tension in the room, Luke could feel it. The technicians clad in black armor at the controls all did their assigned jobs. They lifted levers, pressed buttons, and entered commands into the system as needed._

_In a few short seconds, Luke could see the green laser beams coming from the Death Star all collecting into one large beam. In a split-second, the beam was blasted onto the planet of Dosuun._

_It was like nothing Luke had ever seen before. The entire planet erupted and sent flying bits everywhere. Luke held his hand up to his heart and cringed. He felt a sharp pang in the Force. He looked over to Jared and Aria. They felt it too._

_Everyone was cheering. Luke could have sworn he saw Senator Tarkin and Senator Dasknatta share a kiss. Luke wanted to gag. Everyone was so cheerful. They were acting as if this Death Star was in a game and it just won the Galactic Cup or something. Luke looked up at his father._

_Vader definitely seemed pleased. He wasn't cheering with the others—Luke didn't expect him to—but he had a trace of a smile on his lips. Vader turned around and exited the room, his work in there complete._

_Luke figured he ought to leave too because Garris Shrike just pulled out a champagne bottle and cut it open, spraying foam everywhere._

_It was the only time in the whole Death Star's existence that a planet was ever blown up, and it was just a test run. If the Republic knew about it, it was too late now. The most powerful weapon in the galaxy was extremely dangerous and deadly…and it belonged to the most evil man that the galaxy did not know about._

Luke finished his story. Obi-Wan and Anakin were speechless, unsure of what to say.

"Well," Anakin said after a long silence, recovering from the tale.

"Thank you, Luke." Obi-Wan said.

Anakin frowned, "So they really have their own Intelligence Agency?"

Luke nodded, "And it's led by one of the craziest women in the galaxy, Ysanne Isard."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, "I'm going to see if I can find any information on her next."

Anakin pursed his lips, thinking. "Luke, could you go find your sister? I'm going to take you two home."

Luke nodded and then left to find Leia.

Obi-Wan looked up to Anakin. "What do you think?"

Anakin sighed, "I think we can finally add a reason on that holocron to why we felt a great disturbance in the Force."

* * *

><p>Luke found Leia talking with a few other Padawans down the grand hall of the Jedi Temple.<p>

She turned to him and smiled, "Are we leaving now?"

Luke nodded. He looked around at the other Padawans that Leia was standing with. It was just Leia, Hanalei, a few younger Padawans that Luke forgot the names of, and unfortunately Jerome.

"We were just discussing what we think the Masters are up too," Jerome said matter-of-factly, folding his arms and smirking. "Care to share your input?"

Luke stared at Jerome. Jerome seemed to be mocking him. Jerome knew that Luke was aware of what was going on. Jerome probably even blamed Luke for the whole ordeal.

Luke just shrugged, "Obviously if you weren't told about it in the first place, then you're not important enough to know."

Jerome gave Luke a dirty look and took a step closer, "Listen here, kid—"

But before Jerome could make any threatening gesture, Anakin walked out of the Archives and spotted his children. He walked over to their direction.

Jerome huffed and stepped back, making it look like he wasn't doing anything. When Anakin arrived to the scene, he looked between Luke and Jerome suspiciously.

Leia cleared her throat, "Um, are we going Dad?"

Anakin nodded, "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Luke sat in the front next to Anakin while Leia was in the back, staring out the window.<p>

Anakin glanced at Luke for a moment and then went back to driving, "So what is it with you and Jerome Landski, exactly?"

Luke shrugged, "He just hates me for no reason."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, "You force-choked him, remember?"

Luke scoffed, "He pulled out his lightsaber! Remember?!"

Anakin chuckled at Luke's over-reaction, "Okay, okay. But you shouldn't create rifts like that between you and the other Padawans. Hatred is of the Dark Side."

Luke shrugged, "So?"

Anakin sighed, "So, you can't hate people."

"I'm not a Jedi, though."

"But you're not a Sith either."

Luke huffed and folded his arms around his chest, muttering "You don't know what I am."

Anakin pretended not to hear that. "But in all seriousness, Luke. Please try to get along with Jerome. He's really a nice kid."

Luke rolled his eyes.

Anakin kept one hand on his steering wheel as he lifted the other hand to stroke his chin, "I think I know why you dislike him."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah?"

Anakin nodded, smiling, "You direct your feelings for Jared towards Jerome."

Luke frowned and looked up at Anakin, "_What?_ That doesn't even make sense!"

Anakin nodded, "Oh, yes it does. You have somehow made your mind think that Jerome and Jared are the same person. I can see how you did that, too."

Luke shook his head, "But I _didn't_ do that."

Anakin continued anyway, not listening to Luke. "I'd say Jerome and Jared share an exquisite resemblance. I've only ever seen Jared twice, but they look similar enough."

Luke shook his head.

"Also," Anakin went on, "they are both the same age, sixteen."

"That has nothing to do with…"

"And they have the same initials_, JL!_"

Luke frowned, "How did you even _think_ of that?"

"And maybe you even relate Aria to Hanalei." Anakin suggested.

Luke shook his head, "But I don't hate Hanalei…"

Anakin nodded, "True, plus they look nothing alike. Maybe Hanalei just reinforces your distorted image of Jerome because she is very close to him, as Aria is close to Jared. Hanalei and Aria are also both the same age, right?"

Luke sighed but agreed, "Yeah, fifteen…"

"So maybe the fact that Jerome hangs out with a fifteen year-old girl all the time just reminds you of how you always saw Jared and Aria together."

Luke shrugged. Nothing he could say would make him win this argument.

"So I'm right?" Anakin asked for verification.

Luke gave Anakin a pointed look, "How could you be right? I didn't even think of any of that!"

Anakin smiled and continued driving, "You didn't have to. It's a subconscious thing."

"Yeah, whatever…" Luke muttered.

* * *

><p><strong><em>IMPORTANT *Please Read*:<em>** I would just like to clarify a few things that were brought to my attention. I am not trying to mislead you about the made-up politics in this fanfic. When I labeled the former Separatists as "Socialists," I did not mean to make it look like socialism is a BAD thing. In fact, I am not trying to make it look like they are even socialists at all! It is just a label. I'm going to give you guys a little heads-up for future chapters: these "Socialists" are actually fascists. If you know a little bit about history, you might know that Adolf Hitler was a fascist. In fact, I loosely modeled my version of Darth Vader after Hitler. Hitler's Nazi Party inspired my version of this fic's Socialist Party. As some of you may already know, "Nazi" is actually short for the German word "_Nationalsozialismus" _which translates to "National Socialism." So basically, they called themselves socialists even though Hitler was a fascist. This is kind of what I did in my own story. (In truth, socialism is more of an economic system than a governing one). In the last chapter, Luke said something about Socialism being the name of the politics that Vader is going to do or whatever. That was kind of misleading and it was just supposed to show Luke's own ignorance on what the difference between socialism and fascism is. It was also supposed to be a sort of red herring, because the Socialists are not actually socialists at all. I guess I could have had Padme (an expert on politics) make a little side note of what socialism REALLY is, but I didn't think it was that important because socialism is really not a big factor in my story. The senators on Vader's side only call themselves the "Socialist" Party because they can't really call themselves the "Fascist" Party without getting weird looks. They need followers, so they decided to use the idea of socialism to gather people to join their cause (That's exactly what Hitler did to promote his Nazi party-he preached socialism, as it was a popular trend in Europe at the time). Vader is still doing things secretly, and he doesn't want word out about how he wants to form his own Empire just yet. If you think about it, "Loyalism" is not a real type of political party either. I only named the "good" side Loyalists because I saw a deleted scene from Episode III in which Mon Mothma was saying "We're Loyalists trying to preserve the Republic." In truth, I made up these political parties because I wanted to avoid imitating the real-life political parties (conservative or liberal). I didn't want it to look like I'm using fanfiction to force my views on you—because I'm not. But now I don't want you to think that Loyalists are supposed to be conservative right-wing while the Socialists are liberal left-wing... because if you think about it, these "Socialists" are actually fascists, and fascism is considered right-wing politics (just like conservatism).

I hope this makes a little more sense to people. I don't want to make my story a huge political debate between two different sides. I just wanted to make it look like Darth Vader has a lot of followers, especially in the Senate.


	37. Chapter 37

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

Anakin had trouble sleeping that night. He kept tossing and turning, waking up his wife numerous times.

"Ani, what's wrong?" A groggy Padmé Amidala asked.

Anakin sighed, lying on his back. "I don't know… I keep having weird dreams."

Padmé sighed. Anakin _always_ had bad dreams.

"What is it this time?" She asked.

Anakin stared up at the ceiling. He didn't want to alarm her, but he thought he was having dreams about…_Vader_.

"I don't know." He lied.

Padmé gave a sympathetic smile and stroked her husband's hair. She readjusted her covers and went back to sleep. Anakin closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind from everything…

_The pain felt so real. _

_Anakin clutched at his stomach, kneeling over. How was it possible to feel so much pain? It was so painful that Anakin actually couldn't feel _anything_ anymore._

_He looked up once more to face the monster who did this to him._

_"I'm going to kill you, Anakin Skywalker." The tall man said, wielding his red lightsaber over Anakin. _

_Anakin squinted his eyes, looking up, trying to get a better glimpse of the man before he passed out. He was tall, pale, and had piercing yellow eyes that glowed in the dark shadow of the night. _

_"I thought you were my friend." Anakin managed to gasp, clutching his stomach even tighter. He could no longer breathe, and then collapsed on the floor._

Anakin shot up in his bed once again that night. He looked to his right and saw Padmé still sleeping; however dawn seemed to be approaching.

Anakin swung his legs over the bed and put his head in his hands. His nightmare felt so cold and so real. Was it an omen?

He got up from the bed and went to the refresher.

* * *

><p>Anakin was still in the shower when Padmé woke up, so she just washed her face and then went downstairs in her night robe to make breakfast for the twins.<p>

A few minutes later, Luke and Leia came down and sat at the table.

Padmé sat down too once all the food was on the table. She smiled at her children and then picked up her fork. She stared at her food, not really hungry.

"You look tired." Leia stated.

Padmé smiled up at her daughter, "Well, _someone_ kept me awake all night."

Luke looked up at Padmé incredulously, "_You_ heard it too?"

Padmé frowned, "Heard what?"

"Luke," Leia interjected, rolling her eyes, "for the last time, _nobody_ was screaming last night. I would have heard it, I'm a light sleeper."

Luke rolled his eyes and continued eating.

Padmé looked in the direction of the stairwell, "No, it definitely wasn't screaming. I'm talking about your father."

"Ew, Mom," Leia said disgustedly, putting her fork down, "we don't need to know about that."

Padmé gave her daughter a strange and uncomfortable look while Luke just chuckled, "Way to jump to the _wrong_ conclusion."

Padmé shook her head, "Really, Leia."

Leia reddened, embarrassed.

Before anyone could say anything more, Anakin walked down to the table. "Are you two ready?"

Leia nodded and got up to get her bag. Luke just stared up at Anakin, knowing that Anakin was holding back on something.

"You're right." Anakin said, overhearing his thoughts. "I need to ask you something."

"I really hate it when you do that." Luke said, referring to Anakin reading his mind.

"Sorry." Anakin said. He glanced at his wrist chrono. "You still have some time before you need to get to school."

Luke nodded. Anakin gestured for him to go to the living room and sit down. Anakin sat down in front of him.

"This has been bothering me all night…" Anakin began.

Luke looked up at his father. He seemed very tired with bags under his eyes. Padmé was apparently affected by it too.

"Couldn't sleep?" Luke guessed.

Anakin shook his head, "No, I could sleep. I just couldn't _stay_ asleep. I—"

Luke seemed excited, "So you heard the screaming too?!"

Leia overheard her brother from all the way in the kitchen. She looked over, "Luke, _nobody_ heard the screaming but you!"

Luke shot her a dirty look and then turned back to Anakin.

Anakin sighed, "I know this sounds childish, but it was because of nightmares."

Luke tried not to smile. The fact that a Jedi Master was coming up to Luke to tell him he couldn't sleep because of nightmares was almost kind of surreal.

"Not just any nightmares… I think they were prophetic ones." Anakin explained.

"About Vader." Luke said; it wasn't a question.

Anakin gave a nod.

Luke nodded slowly, "What about him?"

Anakin shrugged, "I don't know, different things. And the thing is, I've never met the man before. So, I'm not sure if I'm even drawing up the correct images in my mind. It's just… It's weird."

"He's tall, wears a lot of black," Luke described. "He has short, jet black hair. Well, I don't know. Maybe in your dreams you saw it longer. He used to grow his hair out a little fuller when he was president. It was kind of curly."

"Yeah, it was—" Anakin paused, "Wait, what?"

"What?" Luke asked.

Padmé—who had been sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of hot chocolate, eavesdropping on Luke and Anakin's conversation—stood up. She walked into the living room and sat next to Luke, across from her husband. She sat her mug down on the coffee table in front of them and smiled at Luke.

"Honey, who are you talking about _now?_" Padmé said a little too sweetly.

Luke, who was now used to being totally creeped out by Padmé, just frowned.

Anakin looked up at his wife, "Um, we're still talking about Vader, dear."

Padmé gave a nervous chuckle, "No, I mean the president. Which president are you talking about? President of what?"

Luke looked in between Padmé and Anakin, confused. He spoke slowly, "Vader was a president."

Anakin sat back in his seat. He took a very deep breath and then exhaled.

Padmé's eye twitched, "Yes, but obviously he wouldn't go by the name _Vader_, right Luke?"

Luke nodded slowly, "He didn't go by _Darth_ Vader, of course not."

Padmé smiled and nodded her head, "Alright, good. For a moment there I thought you were talking about _Malek_ Vader, the president of Corellia."

Luke frowned at Padmé.

Padmé just chuckled, "I guess Vader is a common name."

Luke continued to frown, "No, I _am_ talking about Malek Vader. That's his first name."

Anakin rubbed his eyes, "How could the Dark Lord of the Sith hold a public office and the Jedi not know about it?"

"Uh, wouldn't be the first time." Luke replied. He looked back over to his mother who seemed to be frozen.

Anakin noticed this too. "Padmé, are you alright?"

Padmé looked down, "How is this possible? He was my friend…"

Anakin raised his eyebrows.

Luke sighed, "Are you kidding me right now? How did you guys _not_ know that he was the president? I mean, I thought that once I told you I lived on _Corellia_ with a guy named _Vader_, you would make the connection!"

Anakin and Padmé glanced at each other. Padmé just groaned and stood up and started pacing.

"This is so…" Padmé said through clenched teeth. Luke never saw her so angry before.

"I can't believe this!" Padmé exclaimed, "First Palpatine, then Piett, now _this?_"

Luke frowned up at Padmé, "Wait, you were _actually_ friends with Vader?"

Padmé nodded with tears in her eyes, "How could this…" Her voice was cracking.

Luke stared at Padmé incredulously. "Well then he obviously must have tried recruiting you to join his cause if he was your _friend_."

Anakin frowned at Luke, "What do you mean? I thought you once said Vader used to be a Jedi."

Luke nodded.

"And then he quit, right?" Anakin continued.

Luke nodded.

"So obviously he hates the Jedi. I mean, he's a Sith…" Anakin speculated.

Luke nodded, "That's right." He looked up at Padmé who was still pacing around in the same spot in the living room, "He probably tried making friends with you until he found out you were married to a Jedi."

Padmé stopped and then nodded at Luke, "Oh, yes. That makes sense. He did seem rather distant after Palpatine died and we revealed our marriage…"

Anakin stood up, "Obi-Wan is here."

Padmé frowned and looked over to the direction of the landing platform, "He is?"

Just a moment later, the three could see Obi-Wan's starfighter land on the landing pad. He jumped out and ran to the door.

Leia, who was in the kitchen and near the door, got up and let the Jedi Master in. "Hello, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan glanced down at Leia, "Hello, Leia." He ran to the living room, in a hurry to speak with Anakin and Padmé.

Leia frowned and followed him, increasingly curious on what was going on.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan began, gasping for breath, "I stayed up all night reading into this. Did you know that—"

"That Darth Vader is actually Malek Vader, yes we just found out." Anakin finished for him.

Obi-Wan frowned, "How?"

Anakin and Padmé both looked at Luke.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, "How come you didn't tell us?"

Luke's jaw dropped, "I thought you guys knew!"

Padmé bit her lip, not able to come to terms with her own ignorance yet still not wanting to believe it.

Obi-Wan sighed, "I found all sorts of articles about him on the HoloNet. He was a really famous president, the people really loved him."

Luke rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch again.

Obi-Wan continued, "He was basically responsible for changing the entire Corellian government into his own very strict regime."

Leia walked up to Anakin, interrupting Obi-Wan's account. "Dad, if we don't leave _right now_ we are going to miss the first bell!"

Anakin nodded, not really paying attention to Leia, "Ask if you can get a ride with Winter."

"She already left!" Leia cried.

Anakin sighed, "Ask Threepio to take you."

Leia stared at Anakin, dumbfounded. "You trust a droid to fly your only daughter through Coruscant rush hour traffic?"

Anakin groaned, "Fine, get in the speeder." He looked back at Obi-Wan, "I'll be right back."

Luke began to follow Anakin and Leia until Anakin turned around, "Luke, stay here for now."

Luke huffed and went back to the living room; so much for using school as an escape from the Jedi…


	38. Chapter 38

**So I just found out yesterday that the name "Beatrice" is actually pronounced like ****_"Bee-a-triss_****" or "****_Bee-triss"._**** I always thought it was "****_Buh-treece_****"...**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT<strong>

It was noon and Luke was still in the same spot that he had been in the entire morning: in the living room, sitting next to Padmé and across from the two Jedi Masters.

It was clear to Luke that Obi-Wan Kenobi spent the whole night in the Jedi Archives reading information on Luke's old master. He had all sorts of materials brought with him to prove it. He told Anakin and Padmé all sorts of facts about Vader when he was president: what he did, where he went, who he talked to… He thought all of it made a difference to how the Socialist Party became what it is today. And to make matters worse, Obi-Wan would look over at Luke every five minutes expecting a nod of approval or something, as if Luke knew _everything_ about Darth Vader from when he was president… Hell, Luke barely knew _anything_. It wasn't his job to keep track of what Vader did with his crazy group of politicians.

"And that's how Vader made Wilhuff Tarkin the chair of the Socialist Party." Obi-Wan said, finishing his latest piece of information he dug up at about 0300 hours in the morning. "He did it so that he could still control the Socialists through Tarkin, yet he wouldn't be in the spotlight of it all. It's clear that Vader wanted to keep a sense of secrecy. Right, Luke?"

Luke wanted to rip his hair out. He looked at Obi-Wan, trying to remain as calm as possible. "_Obviously_. If _none_ of you really _knew_ much about him in the _first place_."

The three adults nodded, not paying much attention to Luke's obvious frustration with the adults' apparent stupidity. But then again, Luke thought _everyone_ in the galaxy was stupid…

Obi-Wan continued on, "So the important thing to know is that Vader became president just as the Clone Wars broke out. He preached the ideas of socialism to the people until the end of the war, in which he officially formed the party—which was originally supposed to be a Corellian party, but it soon spread to hundreds of star systems throughout the galaxy. He successfully transformed Corellia—and those many other important and influential star systems—to live with the idea that everyone needs to be equal and that the governmental policies of the Republic made things unfair to the average worker. Vader's first term ended a year after the Clone Wars and then he ran again for a second term in which he won by a landslide."

_There would have been no harm in just summing it up for us like that in the first place instead of spending four hours retelling us Vader's whole presidential life story_, Luke thought to himself.

Anakin gave Luke a look, overhearing his thoughts. Luke stared back at him, making it clear he didn't like it when Anakin read his mind. Anakin just looked next to him at Obi-Wan.

"I found something interesting in my readings last night about Vader," Obi-Wan said.

Padmé nodded at him eagerly, "What is it?"

"Well, just about his marital life." Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin sat back in his seat, pondering. "Luke, you said Jared and Aria were definitely Vader's children, they just have a different last name."

Luke nodded, "Their mother's."

Obi-Wan looked at his data pad again, "But their mother had the same name as Vader. She was known as Kimberlianna Vader, the First Lady of Corellia."

Luke nodded, "Yes, to the people of Corellia. But her real name was Beatrice Lamar."

Padmé frowned and muttered quietly to herself, "Why does that name seem familiar?"

"And besides," Luke continued, "Kimberlianna is a long name. She usually went by nicknames such as Kimmy… Kim…" Luke smiled, "Mrs. Vader."

Anakin looked across to his wife who seemed to be thinking hard.

Anakin tried to see if he could help her out, "Luke, what else can you tell us about her? Did she do anything significant to help Vader in his attempt to take over the galaxy and ruin our lives?"

Luke gave a small smile, "Yeah, she gave birth to Jared and Aria."

"I couldn't find much on what she did," Obi-Wan said, "only that the people of Corellia really loved her and that they were severely distraught when she died."

"How did she die?" Anakin wondered.

"She killed herself." Luke stated. Padmé snapped her head over to Luke, surprised.

"Seriously?" She gasped.

Luke nodded, "However, Vader told everyone that she was stabbed by anti-Socialists who wanted revenge on Vader. This only caused the Corellians to hate the anti-Socialists even more. It was a good propaganda technique, I guess."

"Anti-Socialists?" Anakin repeated.

Luke shrugged, "Anyone who isn't a socialist."

"So, Loyalists?"

Luke nodded, "Sure."

Padmé, who was still curious about Vader's wife, asked "Why did she kill herself?"

Luke bit his lip, "Well, it's kind of complicated. I didn't know her, obviously, but people told me she was a really care-free and happy person. She grew up in tough circumstances but she was still able to get herself through school and get a good job. She met Vader when she graduated from medical school at age twenty-one; Vader was only seventeen. The reason why she had two names was because she wanted to still be able to practice as a doctor even though she was the First Lady. She could be Mrs. Vader and Dr. Lamar at the same time."

Padmé's jaw dropped.

Anakin nodded, not noticing his wife. "So how did she kill herself?"

Luke shrugged, "I guess she just cut herself. She was really upset. You see, she never did anything bad. Out of all her siblings, she turned out the best. Yet her biggest mistake was marrying the Dark Lord of the Sith. To her credit, she didn't even know. I have no idea why Vader married her. I don't believe it was actually for love. I mean, he doesn't love _anyone_. He never told her about anything. She was mortified when she found out about the Death Star. I mean, when she first met him, Vader told her that he worked as an advisor in the Office of the Supreme Chancellor. I don't know how she found out about all of Vader's wrongdoings, but when she did, she definitely did not want to live with it anymore."

Anakin nodded slowly, taking it all in.

Luke just looked up next to him to his mother, "What is it?"

Padmé looked really uncomfortable, "Uh, what kind of doctor did you say she was?"

Luke just stared at her, "I didn't. But she was a pediatrician. She actually liked kids, unlike her husband."

Padmé nodded, a little relieved. "Oh, okay."

"But once Vader became president," Luke added, "Beatrice couldn't practice on Corellia any more without the fear of being recognized. So she worked on Coruscant, practicing as a specialist here. Vader came to Coruscant often because he was an 'advisor' to the Chancellor."

Padmé's eyes widened, "And, uh, what did she specialize in?"

Luke shrugged, "Obstetrics."

Anakin and Obi-Wan went on, clearly not seeing anything wrong with Padmé.

"Was Palpatine okay with the fact that Vader was the President of Corellia?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded, "He was the one that told Vader to do it. I mean, Palpatine had more than one apprentice. I guess he tried recruiting _you_ too. He kept Dooku on the Separatists' side while keeping Vader on the Republic's side. However, he wanted Vader to be a back-up just in case everything else failed. First of all, Vader didn't like being a back-up. This is probably what fueled his anger towards _you_." He said to Anakin. "The fact that Palpatine wanted to make you his apprentice really bothered Vader. Vader actually _stole_ the Death Star plans from Palpatine and decided to build it on his own without his master's knowledge."

Anakin rubbed his chin, intrigued by this news.

Luke looked out in the direction of the landing platform, watching all the speeders fly by in the Coruscant sky. "But in the end, Palpatine _did_ fail, and it was _Vader_ that succeeded as the Dark Lord of the Sith…"

Obi-Wan pursed his lips. Anakin looked at his wife and then frowned, "What is it Padmé?"

Padmé was just staring at the floor this whole time, not really listening.

"Padmé?" Anakin called out again.

Padmé slowly lifted her head up to face her husband, "What?"

"What are you thinking about?" Anakin asked.

Padmé shrugged and looked away, "Nothing much. Just how Darth Vader's wife probably delivered my babies."

Stunned silence. Anakin sat back in his seat, trying to figure out if he was still asleep or not.

"What do you mean _Darth Vader's wife delivered your babies?_" Obi-Wan asked.

Luke sat back, somewhat amused. "Wow, didn't see that one coming."

Padmé bit her lip and started playing with her hands, unsure of what to say.

Anakin rested his forehead in his hand.

Obi-Wan sat there awkwardly, "This can't be good."

"How could Vader even allow that?" Anakin snapped, "If he hated me so much?"

Luke shrugged, "He probably didn't know you were the father. Maybe he didn't know his wife was Padmé's doctor either. When he found out, he probably wanted Beatrice to keep her as a patient. Remember, Vader wanted to recruit Padmé as a Socialist. Maybe this way he was keeping tabs on her. How was he supposed to know you were the father?"

Padmé let out a deep sigh.

Anakin shook his head, "But why? _Why_ did Vader want Padmé?"

Luke shrugged, "He wanted to recruit as much as possible. Maybe he saw that Padmé was kind of uncertain about the Republic. I mean, after the war, all the old Separatists became putty in Vader's hands."

"But Padmé wasn't a Separatist." Obi-Wan stated.

Anakin and Padmé just glanced at each other awkwardly.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked, watching Padmé and Anakin's silence.

Padmé bit her lip, "Well, I guess I _was_ somewhat uncertain about the Republic…"

Anakin sighed and sat back in his chair.

"Don't get me wrong," Padmé said quickly, "I am definitely not a Separatist! It's just that, for the longest time, I always saw Palpatine as my friend…"

Anakin sighed, "We both did."

"And," Padmé continued, "after the Delegation of 2000… I just… I started having doubts. I didn't know which side was right."

Luke nodded, completely understanding what Padmé meant. He knew that Vader worked in sneaky ways. He knew that Vader would want to encourage any doubts Padmé had. It's probably why he became her 'friend'.

"I asked them," Padmé went on, "the other senators—Bail—to lay low. I asked them not to tell me too much. I didn't want to know." She paused. "I also knew that Mon didn't trust me at first. She probably knew—as did I—that I had my doubts. Perhaps if Palpatine succeeded, things would be much different. Maybe I _would_ have been a Socialist… I don't know."

"I doubt there would even _be_ a Senate if Palpatine succeeded," Anakin said darkly, "let alone a Socialist Party."

Padmé shrugged and repeated "I don't know."

The four were silent for a moment.

Obi-Wan stood up, "You know, there is still so much for me to research at the Temple."

Anakin stood up with him, "Are you doing this all by yourself?"

Obi-Wan chuckled, "No, practically everyone on the Council has gotten involved somehow. This is a really big deal. We once made the mistake of a secret Sith almost getting the better of us, we _won't_ let it happen again."


	39. Chapter 39

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

A few weeks had passed. The climate on Coruscant, although controlled, was becoming much colder. Autumn was finally settling in.

The Jedi Council's secret operation to dismantle Vader's ambitions to take over was progressing slowly. They still had to make up for the _years_ they had not known about Vader's underground Empire.

In order for this "secret operation" to _remain_ a secret, everything had to proceed as normal. This meant that Padmé—along with Bail Organa and Mon Mothma—had to pretend to still trust Firmus Piett...however they did not relay to him _too_ much information. This also meant that the Jedi still had to report to the Supreme Chancellor as usual….they simply did not report _everything_ to him.

Luke and Leia continued going to school. Luke's story of being a former fugitive eventually died out and he became a regular student just like everyone else. In fact, there was not much attention on Luke's suspicious history at all. Padmé—being a very rich and influential person—was basically able to buy her way out of having to confront any media interference with her son. This was difficult to do because when her son was kidnapped ten years ago, Padmé made a _huge_ deal about it. The ordeal was _all over_ the HoloNews. The fact that the son of the Hero With No Fear and the famous senator of Naboo was missing became a very big deal for very obvious reasons. So instead of having a big fiasco on the HoloNews of how Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala suddenly have a son again, Padmé made it clear that she had _always_ had a son to begin with. Padmé had to pretend that nothing was different—only that her son was suddenly attending the same school as her daughter. Her explanation made sense: she made a big deal about her son being kidnapped, but did not make a big deal about her son being found again—whenever that happened.

Padmé became so submerged in this mindset that it suddenly became her reality. The pain of a new mother losing a child was too much to bear. She had erased those painful ten years from her memory. She actually began to think they never even existed—it was just a really long bad dream. This method of psychological recovery was not unheard of.

Side effects of Padmé's new mentality included never speaking of Luke's kidnapping ever again. It never existed. So there was no reason in telling anyone—her friends, colleagues, and _family_ members—that she had a son again.

* * *

><p>Padmé was sitting in her office at the Republic Executive Building in the capital. The door hissed open and C-3PO entered.<p>

"Miss Padmé, the representative from Naboo has just arrived."

Padmé didn't look up, "Thank you, Threepio. Send him in."

Padmé began shuffling the papers and datapads on her desk, clearing her workspace for her meeting. She was informed a couple days ago that a representative from the Queen's court would come to talk to Padmé. Padmé wasn't sure why the representative couldn't just comm Padmé. Padmé _always_ held meetings with the Queen via comlink. She figured this meeting in particular was important seeing that the representative flew here all the way from—

"Sola?!" Padmé exclaimed, startled. She looked up to see her older sister and completely lost her train of thought. She stood up and walked over to Sola, who was standing in the doorway grinning.

"What are you doing here?" Padmé asked, happy to see her sister.

Sola just chuckled, "Well you seem to have forgotten to keep in touch with me the past few months. I came to make sure everything was okay."

Padmé raised an eyebrow, "So _you're_ the representative from Naboo?"

Sola chuckled, "Don't be silly."

As soon as Sola spoke, two more young women walked into the office. Padmé beamed.

"Ryoo! Pooja! Oh, how delightful!"

Pooja laughed as Padmé embraced both her and her sister. "When Mom found out that I needed to talk to you about work, she decided she wanted to make a big deal about it and come to Coruscant."

Padmé's toothy smile shattered.

"Padmé, what is it?" Sola asked worriedly.

Padmé looked around cautiously and gestured for her family to enter her office, the doors automatically closing behind her. "Did anyone see you come in?"

Sola glanced at her daughters questionably. They just shrugged.

Padmé bit her lip.

"What is it, what's going on?" Sola asked again.

Padmé called out to 3PO, who came immediately. "Threepio, I need you to call the transport right away. We need to go home."

The droid agreed and then left. Padmé faced her sister once more, "It's not safe here. We'll talk at home. Please, don't come back to the Senate anymore."

Pooja shook her head, confused. "Aunt Padmé, why?"

"I'll explain everything at home, I promise."

Padmé was afraid. The sooner she took her sister and nieces home, the better. Padmé couldn't bear the thought of any harm coming to them. Ever since she realized that half the Senate was allied with the very man that kidnapped her son, Padmé has come to doubt everything about her former dream job. She couldn't even allow her children in her own office. What if there were spies around?

* * *

><p>The four women arrived at 500 Republica.<p>

"Is it safe to talk _here_?" Sola asked for the millionth time that hour.

"Yes." Padmé said finally.

They walked into the living room and sat down. Sola sat next to her sister, and Ryoo and Pooja sat in front of them.

Padmé bit her lip, aware that Sola needed a full explanation for this.

"The thing is…" Padmé began, "I can't really tell you. It's _extremely_ top secret."

Sola raised an eyebrow.

"All I can say is," Padmé said, after noticing her nieces groan, "we cannot trust anybody anymore. Please don't ask me why, though. If they find out that we suspect something, then all progress we have made will be lost—"

"They?" Sola interrupted.

Padmé bit her lip, "Yes. I can't really say who they are… But when it comes to the Senate, I'm referring to the Socialists."

Sola shrugged, "So, there is no problem. We have no Socialists on Naboo."

Padmé nodded, "Yes, but… But _here_…"

"Just spit it out, Padmé!"

"They're just bad people, Sola. If one of them saw you here, with me…"

Sola sighed, "You're afraid they'll try to hurt us? Are you serious, Padmé? They're only senators."

Padmé shook her head, "They're much more than that… Plus, they really don't like me. They've been doing me wrong for years. I won't hold it against them to continue hurting my family…"

Padmé's voice was but a whisper. Sola looked at her sister sympathetically, "Nothing bad will happen, I promise you. They can't get away with…whatever it is they're doing. They're only politicians."

Pooja chuckled nervously, "We all know politicians are evil, Aunt Padmé."

Sola smiled and sat back in her seat, facing Padmé. "So is that it? Is that what you couldn't tell us in your office?"

Padmé rolled her eyes, "Well, I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to tell you… Perhaps, after Anakin comes back, I will let you know more…"

Ryoo and Pooja both squealed.

"He's here?" Pooja asked excitedly.

Padmé rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless. She was well aware of her two nieces' crush on her husband. "Yes, he's just at the Temple. He'll be home soon."

Padmé felt around in her purse for her comlink.

"Is something wrong?" Sola asked.

Padmé bit her lip, "I forgot my comlink in my office at the Senate… I'll just go upstairs for a moment to comm Anakin. He'll bring it for me."

Sola nodded and then Padmé went upstairs to her home office.

Ryoo stood up to grab her bags. She began dragging them down to the guest room.

"Uh, Ryoo, don't take them all." Pooja called out.

Ryoo turned around.

"We're not all going to fit in the guest room." Pooja explained, "You and mom can sleep there, I'll just bunk with Leia."

Ryoo nodded and gave Pooja her bags to take upstairs. She went back to take her and her mother's luggage back to the guestroom. "I don't see why we can't all just sleep upstairs." She muttered.

Sola rolled her eyes, "You know your aunt doesn't like it when people use that room."

"Then why don't they just move!" Ryoo said a little louder, all the way from the guest room.

Pooja grinned and grabbed her bags, heading upstairs. "I guess I'll surprise Leia when she comes home. She doesn't know we're here yet."

Pooja entered Leia's room and settled her things next to the bed. The bed would fit both of them, and perhaps even Ryoo. However Pooja was always a lot closer to her only cousin than Ryoo was. It wasn't because of the age difference though, because both Ryoo and Pooja were significantly older than Leia. Ryoo was twenty-two and Pooja was twenty. It was probably the fact that both Pooja and Leia were interested in the same things, such as public service and political science. Leia always dreamed to take after her mother, and Pooja herself was already a member of the Queen's court on Naboo.

Pooja left her bags in Leia's room and left. She stood in the hallway upstairs. She could hear her aunt in her office, talking on the comm. Pooja eyed the door directly adjacent to Leia's. There was no harm in just taking a peak, Pooja thought to herself.

Pooja quietly entered her _other_ cousin's room. _Ryoo's right, _Pooja thought_, Padmé should just move._

Pooja noticed that the room looked much different from the last time she remembered being in there. The curtains were actually opened, allowing the Coruscant sun to fill the room with its glow. The bed was actually made. Whenever Pooja was in here last, she could have sworn the bed was nothing but a simple mattress on a bedstead. Pooja noticed that the furniture—that was identical to Leia's—was actually, for once, completely devoid of any dust. There was definitely someone using this room, without a doubt.

Pooja exited the room and bumped into Padmé.

"Oh, sorry!" Pooja exclaimed. Padmé just looked at her and smiled. Padmé went downstairs, leaving Pooja completely baffled standing in front of Luke's old room.

For as long as Pooja could remember, Padmé was always really weird about people being in Luke's room. And here Pooja was, just exiting from the forbidden area, and Padmé said nothing. In fact, she just smiled. She actually _smiled_. Pooja couldn't understand.

After a moment, she followed her aunt back downstairs. She told Ryoo everything.

Ryoo just looked at her sister questionably. "And Aunt Padmé said nothing?"

"Nothing." Pooja confirmed.

Ryoo raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "Maybe she's just over it, you know?"

Pooja shrugged. "So now all of a sudden people are allowed to use that room? Do you think we should ask her if you and Mom can sleep there tonight?"

Ryoo bit her lip, "Nah, let's not. We don't really know what's going on. Plus Anakin's here. They probably want their privacy and all."

Pooja nodded and dropped the subject.

* * *

><p>Anakin just got off the comm with his wife while he was sitting in his speeder, waiting for the twins to finish school. As he watched Luke and Leia climb in, he wondered if it would be alright to stop by the Senate building for a few minutes while the twins waited in the speeder. It would be too inconvenient to drop the twins off at home first and then go all the way back. They could just go with him. What could possibly go wrong?<p>

Luke sat up front while Leia was in the backseat, beginning to talk all about her day at school. The speeder lifted into the air and Luke stared out the window, watching the city like he usually does. Coruscant wasn't all that bad now that he's gotten used to it. Sure, it was nothing like Corellia, but it was better than someplace like Nar Shadaa. Luke smiled at the memory of how he and Han almost had to flee to Hutt space… He brought his attention back to the Coruscant scenery out of his window.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked suddenly, interrupting Leia.

Leia jerked her head to the window after a moment of annoyance. She, too, noticed the different direction they were going in.

Anakin shrugged, not looking at his kids. "The Senate, just for a moment."

Luke sighed and sat back in his seat, annoyed that they weren't going home right away. Leia bit her lip, "But Mom said…"

"I know, but she was the one that asked me to go. It will only be for a second."

* * *

><p>Anakin became increasingly worried that he was doing the wrong thing. As he parked his speeder in one of the many parking lots of the Executive Building, he pondered how he would leave the twins alone.<p>

"I guess I could give you two my lightsaber." Anakin thought aloud, "Just in case—"

"Just in case _what_?" Luke asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Yeah, Dad, wouldn't it just be better to go in _with_ you?"

It was getting late and many of the senators would have gone home by now. It was unlikely they would run into anyone undesirable inside. Anakin sighed and waved his hand, "Fine, come on."

The three walked around the building, heading up to Padmé's workplace. Just as they were about to enter her office, Anakin felt a disturbance in the Force. He frowned.

"Go in, kids." Anakin said to Luke and Leia. The twins went in Padmé's empty office and waited, not really paying attention to Anakin's guarded conduct.

Anakin walked down the hall, following his strange instinct. He felt around in the Force for anything unusual.

"_I don't care_," A male voice said from the other side of the wall. Anakin frowned and leaned in, trying to hear.

"_Yeah, I know he's mad at me. I said I don't care_." The man said again.

Anakin looked around the hallway, making sure it was empty. He then walked down the hall to the door that led to the room that he heard the man speaking from. He leaned in and tried listening through the cracks.

"_Look, I don't have time to travel halfway across the galaxy to the stupid Death Star just because—_"

Anakin's eyes widened.

"_Yeah, I know, but_—"

Anakin closed his eyes, feeling through the Force. He was able to detect two occupants in the room—one male and one female. The male was talking on the comm while the female was simply waiting there.

"_Fine, fine_," the male voice said after a long silence. Anakin was unable to hear the speaker on the comm, only the man in the room who was answerng. "_I'll come out for a few days. But I have to get back right away. I'll be able to come back, right?_"

"_No, I need a guarantee. I will be able to leave the Death Star, right? I'm not going there to become one of Vader's prisoners. I'll be there for a couple days and come back_."

Anakin frowned, thoroughly confused.

"_Okay, fine. I'll talk to you later_." The man concluded his call and then put his comlink away.

"_What did she say?_" The woman asked, speaking for the first time.

The man sighed, "_Vader wants me on the Death Star_."

"_I understood that much_." The woman said, "_But why?_"

"_Isn't it obvious?" _The man said_, "Vader doesn't trust me enough to be out in the open. He wants to keep an eye on me."_

_"If he doesn't trust you," _The woman said_, "why doesn't he just kill you?"_

The man gave a wry laugh_, "Because I'm still of some use to him. Vader wants me under his thumb. He did the same thing to Motti and Tagge, remember?"_

_"I remember." _The woman said dryly_, "But they're not prisoners there. They get to live in the _Death Star!_"_

_"Yeah, for the rest of their lives. Or until Vader finally just takes over the galaxy and we can all relax."_

_"You're missing the point." _The woman said_, "Once you become one of them, you will be important. You'll have people taking your orders and whatnot. You'll be a member of the table!" _

_"Yes," _The man replied_, "and I'll never see the light of day again."_

The woman sighed,_ "You're being ridiculous. This is a huge opportunity. We're considered lucky that we even _know_ about the Death Star. _Being_ on the Death Star is a whole new deal!"_

The man sighed_, "Well I'm sick of this deal."_

Anakin heard movement within the room and then quickly got off the wall. He began walking down the hall. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the man exit the room and start walking down the other end of the hallway. Anakin waited a few moments and then began to follow him.


	40. Chapter 40

**CHAPTER FORTY**

Matthias Bassa was just an ordinary man with an ordinary job. When he got to work he enjoyed sitting at his ordinary desk, organized with not a single article or datapad out of place. To be out of place was to be out of the ordinary; and Matthias Bassa did not like being out of the ordinary.

It had never occurred to him that he would be sucked into the hot political debate between Loyalists and Socialists. The planet of which he represented in the Senate just happened to be a Separatist planet during the Clone Wars, which meant that it automatically became a member of the Socialist Party.

Bassa's predecessor was famous for his outlandish and unpredictable nature, becoming a close friend of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. It was for this reason that the planet of Fondor became of great use to Vader. Vader made several business deals with his late comrade, and these deals have unfortunately passed down to the current senator, Matthias Bassa.

Bassa didn't know what he was getting into when he became senator. He figured it was just a good job to make good money. He never imagined the crazy turn his life would get. He never imaged that he would become a great asset to a man conspiring to take over the galaxy.

All these contemplations were rushing through Matthias' mind as he stalked down the hallway of the Executive Building, trying to get to his own office. He was in his colleague's office a moment ago—Senator Esu Rotsino of Abrion Major. It was in her office that he took a comm call from the infamous Natasi Daala that served as an admiral on the notorious Death Star.

As he mourned the loss of his ordinary life while walking down the hallway, he felt a creepy sensation that someone was following him. He jerked around and then widened his eyes.

"A-Anakin Skywalker?"

Now, Anakin Skywalker wasn't actually following him down the hallway. He was just standing nearby, glaring at the senator of Fondor. He took a step closer.

"Sorry, I just didn't know if that was you or not." Matthias said nervously, "Is there something you, uh, want?"

Anakin didn't answer. He just narrowed his eyes at him.

Matthias could feel his forehead getting damp. Did the Jedi Master overhear his comm call? Did he hear the part about the Death Star?

Anakin's lips curled into a smile, "I did, but don't worry. I won't tell on you."

Matthias' eyes were as wide as they could go, at a complete loss for words.

Anakin eyed the door to Matthias' office, "Maybe we should go in and straighten things out, Senator. Best if nobody heard us."

Matthias nodded weakly. _Better for Anakin Skywalker to kill me than for Darth Vader to, _he thought grimly to himself.

He opened the door to his office and gestured for Anakin to go in. He stood nervously in front of the Jedi Master.

"We might as well sit down, Senator." Anakin said, fully aware that he was intimidating to the senator. He sat in one of the seats in front of Bassa's large desk. Matthias quickly sat in his own chair.

Anakin folded his hands across his lap, "Normally, I would not approach one of Vader's accomplices without thinking it through first. But for some reason, the Force is telling me to trust you."

Matthias just stared at Anakin, feeling his heart thumping in his ears.

"So what e-exactly are you going to do to me?" Matthias asked, his voice but a whisper.

Anakin smiled, "I'm going to offer you a deal."

* * *

><p>Matthias Bassa sat in his seat behind his desk, staring at his hands which were folded neatly on his laps, pondering. Anakin Skywalker was sitting in front of him.<p>

"You want me," Matthias began slowly, "to act as a spy."

Anakin nodded. "You don't like Darth Vader. I don't like Darth Vader. I think we will get along tremendously."

Matthias nodded once, "You want me to go to the Death Star and record all my encounters and whatnot."

Anakin nodded. He leaned in, "You can trust us, Senator. The Jedi will protect you. You no longer need to be afraid from that monster. You never really wanted to serve him in the first place."

Matthias nodded slowly, "You're right. I never wanted to serve him in the first place."

Anakin smiled, "Why does Vader need you so much anyway?"

Matthias sighed, "Fondor's shipyards."

Anakin frowned.

Matthias nodded, "We build ships for him. Secretly, of course. They're not the regular star destroyers used by the Republic. We make super star destroyers."

"_Super_ star destroyers?" Anakin repeated.

Matthias nodded, "Very big, very dangerous. Worth about twenty regular destroyers."

Anakin's eyes widened to the point that Matthias thought his eyes would fall out of their sockets.

"And how did Vader manage to do this so secretly?" Anakin asked, completely baffled.

Matthias nodded, a wry smile forming on his lips. "That's the point. We built his first destroyer as a test run. It became Vader's personal flagship. This was about five years ago. Then, he wanted more. So we built another one. Now we have two."

_Nice math_, Anakin thought. "So there are only two in existence?" he asked.

"There are only two fully functional ones in existence." Matthias corrected, "Vader wants me to build a dozen more by the end of next year."

Anakin sighed, "Well, where are the other two right now?"

Matthias pursed his lips, "Vader's ship, the _Executor_, is usually always in orbit around the Death Star. And the exact position of the Death Star is unclear to me right now. The other ship serves mostly as a prison of sorts. It is called the _Lusankya_, and it is somewhere in the Outer Rim."

Anakin rubbed his chin, "Interesting."

Matthias suddenly felt alarmed, "Master Skywalker, you're not going to tell anybody that I—"

"Relax." Anakin said, holding his arm up, "You are completely safe." He bit his lip, "Well, safer than you were before you had a Jedi on your side."

Matthias smiled.

The two stood up and bowed their heads to one another. Matthias walked the Jedi Master up to the door.

"To tell you the truth, I am a little relieved." Matthias admitted.

Anakin smiled, "You ought to be. You have a dangerous job, but you're well protected now. This is all for the greater good. You must do exactly as we discussed, and everything will turn out wonderfully for you, me, and the entire galaxy."

Matthias smiled, feeling reassured.

A thought had just struck Anakin. He turned back to the Senator before exited the office, "Just a question."

Matthias looked up, "Yes?"

"Why Fondor?" Anakin asked. "I realize Fondor has a remarkable reputation for its shipyards, but…"

Matthias nodded, "Yes, it's okay to say it. You're asking why did Vader choose Fondor, and not Kuat?"

Anakin nodded, "Or even Corellia? I mean, Vader lives on Corellia, right? Or at least, he spends a lot of time there… Everyone knows that Corellia is only second to Kuat when it comes to building starships."

Matthias nodded, "Yes, but of course Vader could not use Kuat for his business. Kuat is too widely used by the Republic, and Vader wanted to keep his dealings secret."

Anakin nodded.

"But Corellia…" Matthias mused, "Well, I guess Vader simply did not wish to keep all his eggs in one basket."

Anakin frowned, "What do you…"

"Vader used Corellia to train his elite group of Stormtroopers. It's where he kept his army, before moving them all out to the Death Star."


	41. Chapter 41

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

Anakin walked back to Padmé's office, completely stunned. Vader had a deadly weapon that could destroy an entire planet. He was developing a line of star destroyers that would give the Republic a run for their money. So of _course_ he had an army! He wouldn't build all those weapons if he didn't have people to operate them. How could Anakin have overlooked this?

This news should not have been a surprise for Anakin, but for some reason it was. For some reason, it just made everything finally feel clear. For so long, everyone thought that the Order of the Sith Lords died out with Palpatine. No one could imagine someone as powerful as Darth Vader taking the stage. The realization that Vader has an army finally just made everything feel real. Vader was a threat. A _serious_ threat.

Anakin's musings were brought to an end as he entered Padmé's office and found his kids there, both of them just sitting on the couches doing homework. Anakin was so enamored with thoughts of Darth Vader that he completely forgot where he was and what he was doing.

"Dad, what took forever?" Leia asked, annoyed.

Anakin was too distracted to answer. He walked over to Padmé's desk and picked up her comlink. "Let's go, guys."

* * *

><p>"So how long do you think you'll be staying?" Padmé asked her sister.<p>

Sola shrugged, smiling. "As long as you want us to. The weekend, I suppose."

Padmé smiled, "Well, I guess we should ask Threepio to start getting dinner ready."

Sola followed her younger sister into the kitchen. Padmé's kitchen was large, containing a breakfast nook with four chairs surrounding a large table in the middle. When Sola came to visit, the family usually ate dinner in the kitchen because it was big enough to fit them. However Sola didn't usually bring her kids with her, so they might have to retreat to the dining room.

"Can I help somehow?" Sola asked as she watched Padmé instruct her droid what to do.

Padmé looked over at Sola and smiled, "Sure, you can set the table."

Sola nodded and went to the cupboard to grab plates. As she organized the silverware at the table, Padmé came over with another plate and set of utensils. "You forgot one, Sola."

Sola raised her eyebrows, "I counted twice."

Padmé frowned and then counted the plates at the table, "Two, four, six… Yes, you're missing one."

Sola watched Padmé set the last plate on the table, completely perplexed. "Padmé, there's only six of us. You, Anakin, Leia, me, Ryoo, and Pooja."

"And Luke." Padmé said, as if it was obvious.

Sola froze. Ryoo and Pooja watched from afar, rolling their eyes. "I told you Aunt Padmé was acting extra weird today," Pooja whispered to her sister.

Padmé walked back into the kitchen, oblivious to what was going on. Sola followed after her. "Padmé…"

Padmé turned to her, "What is it?"

Sola bit her lip, "What's with you today? First the Senate, now this?"

Padmé frowned, "What are you talking about?"

Sola sighed, not wanting to bring up this particular subject. "Padmé, what do you mean by setting a place for Luke? I thought we've gone through this. I thought you were over it."

Padmé's eyes slowly widened, the realization just hitting her. "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Sola asked. Ryoo and Pooja walked into the kitchen, wanting a closer look of the possible fight that might ensue. (Sola always fought with Padmé when she thought her younger sister was being unreasonable).

"I thought everyone knew already." Padmé said to herself.

"Knew what?" Sola asked, annoyed.

"About Luke." Padmé replied casually.

"What about him?" Sola said, exasperated with the pace of Padmé's response.

Padmé just smiled, as if it was no big deal. "He's living with us again."

Sola stared at her blankly, "He's _living_ with you again."

Padmé nodded, smiling.

"And you didn't think it was important for us to know that. You never bothered to call." Sola's tone was deadly serious, with no trace of emotion at all.

Padmé's smile faltered as she realized her sister was angry—not the reaction she thought she'd have.

"Well I thought you knew…"

"Padmé, how in the world would we ever find out if _you_ didn't tell us?"

Padmé bit her lip, "Well, I'm sorry! I didn't think—"

"That's obvious." Sola rolled her eyes, her anger diminishing slightly.

"Are you mad?"

Sola shrugged.

At this point, Ryoo and Pooja were staring at their aunt completely awestruck.

"What's he like?"

"How does he look?"

"Do you think he'll remember us?"

"Girls!" Sola interrupted. The girls just chuckled apologetically.

Sola turned to Padmé, her smile returning. "I guess we'll just have to find out."

* * *

><p>It was clear to Luke that Anakin was very distracted as he was driving through the Galactic City. Luke was sitting in the front seat, and every few minutes he would look over to his father to make sure he was still paying attention to the traffic.<p>

Leia was clearly very annoyed with her father. The twins waited in Padmé's Senate office for almost an hour while Anakin was out doing who-knows-what. She began to blame her mother for ever forgetting her comlink and wasting Leia's time.

"Mom's not usually one to forget things anyway," Leia huffed, "what's wrong with her?"

Anakin shrugged, "Probably because Sola surprised her there."

Leia sat up immediately and leaned in forward towards Anakin's seat. "Aunt Sola's here?!"

Luke frowned, "Who's Aunt Sola?"

Anakin bit his lip, "Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell—" He paused. He looked over to Luke on his right. Did Sola even _know_ about Luke yet?

"Oh, Force." Anakin groaned, turning his head back to looking forward.

"What?" Luke asked.

Anakin sighed. He only hoped that Padmé didn't neglect to tell her family about all that has happened lately.

* * *

><p>When Anakin and the twins arrived home, they found their droid preparing dinner in the kitchen while Padmé was sitting nearby reading messages on her datapad. Anakin rushed to her side right away to tell her the news about what just happened at the Senate.<p>

Meanwhile, Luke and Leia headed upstairs to their rooms, forgetting for a moment that other people were in the house. They were just about to go into their separate rooms to commence their usual after-school habits. Then out of nowhere, two older girls attacked—no wait, _hugged_—Luke from behind and started squealing. Luke didn't know what to do, he just stood there totally creeped out until the two girls came around and beamed at Luke with the whitest toothy grins Luke had ever seen. Luke was thankful that he had not reacted to his first instinct by punching the two girls in the guts when they first approached him, because after a second of looking at them Luke realized they were the same two girls that he saw in a picture with Leia in Padmé's home office. These were Aunt Sola's daughters.

Leia beamed too, because she was excited to see her cousins and even more excited for her cousins to see Luke.

Then, the two cousins simply began rambling off. Luke stared at them so strangely. He could hardly make out what any of them were saying.

"Oh my Force, I don't know if you remember me or not—"

"This is so amazing, we never thought we'd see you here—"

"—has anyone ever told you how much you resemble Uncle Ani?"

"—and I'm so mad at Leia for never telling us or something—"

"—I'm so serious, you look _just_ like him—"

"—when are you coming to Naboo? Can you come live with us? Can you live with us on Naboo?"

"Ryoo! Pooja!" Leia interrupted, laughing. They stopped midway in their blathering and actually took a real look at Luke.

Luke was just staring at them with a somewhat amused however also very creeped out and intrigued expression with his eyebrows raised high.

The two Naberrie girls chuckled apologetically.

"Sorry," Pooja started off, "I guess we were just excited."

Ryoo and Leia laughed, and Luke smiled.

"Well, I think dinner's almost ready—" Leia began, but was suddenly interrupted by her cousin.

"Uh, Leia, can we speak with you for a moment?" Pooja asked Leia seriously.

"Uh, sure?" Leia replied.

Pooja looked back at Luke and smiled, "We'll just take a sec."

Luke shrugged, "Okay."

Pooja somewhat pushed Leia into her room and Ryoo shut the door behind her.

Luke turned around to go back downstairs but then accidently bumped into Padmé—er, not Padmé, but someone who looked very much like her.

Sola's expression changed from happy to overly ecstatic. She engulfed Luke in a hug—and this time Luke saw it coming.

She let go and Luke gave her a small smile, trying to be polite. Sola, however, didn't notice and just began rambling off like her daughters did.

"My goodness, you're so grown up! You look so much like your father, too! Oh, it feels like it was just yesterday that you and Leia were just little kids…" Sola trailed off. She just looked at Luke with watery eyes, wanting to make sure she got a good look at him just in case she never saw him again.

"Sola!" Padmé called from downstairs.

Sola took a glance back at Luke and smiled, then went down to her sister.

Luke arched an interested brow and turned back to head to his room. Just before he got in, Ryoo and Pooja darted out of Leia's room next door and stopped him.

"Come, Luke," Pooja smiled, "we just needed to tell Leia something important that was totally irrelevant and inappropriate at the time, so we had to take her inside. No worries though, we're just about to—"

"Just come in." Ryoo interrupted her younger sister, rolling her eyes.

Luke smiled, amused, and followed the girls into Leia's room.

Luke found Leia sitting on the couch on the other side of the room and went over to sit next to her. Ryoo and Pooja were sitting in front of them on Leia's bed. Pooja had her bag sitting on her lap and was digging through it to find something. Ryoo just watched her.

Luke looked over at Leia to try to understand what the hell was going on.

She just gave him a knowing look. Unfortunately, Luke did not _know_ the 'knowing look', for he had never before met Ryoo and Pooja and he simply would not understand what Leia meant by her facial expression.

So he tested out their twin telepathy. _What just happened?_

Leia's eyes widened and she whipped her head to Luke's direction. She pointed at him questioningly.

Luke didn't know if he should be _excited_ because this was the first time Leia was communicating with other people in her mind, or if he should be _worried_ that this was the first time Leia was communicating with other people in her mind.

_Yes, that was me. _Luke rolled his eyes._ You've never done this before?_

Leia just shook her head.

Luke gave her a look. _You have to say something back._

Leia smiled excitedly. _Hello? Is it working? Can you hear me? Can you hear me?_

Luke shut his eyes and tried resisting the urge to smack his forehead.

"Well, answer the question!" Leia said aloud impatiently.

Ryoo and Pooja slowly looked up to meet Leia's gaze. Luke almost wanted to laugh.

"_What_ question?" Pooja asked in a low voice.

"Nothing." Leia said quickly. She looked over at Luke as if this was all his fault. He just smiled. _For the record, I _did_ hear you_.

Leia rolled her eyes. _Ryoo and Pooja just wanted to tell me what was going on between Mom and Aunt Sola before we got here. Apparently they almost had a fight because Mom never told anyone about you yet. And then they started yelling at _me_ because _I_ never told them about you either._

Luke smiled, happy for some reason that people were at odds with each other all because of his mere existence.

* * *

><p>The seven of them all had dinner together for the first time in over ten years. The topic of discussions at the dinner table somehow all revolved around Luke. No one asked any awkward questions—such as where Luke had been for the past ten years, or what he was doing—but instead other frivolous queries that any distant relative could ask a teenager to make conversation.<p>

At first, Luke entertained these questions to the best of his ability. However, as the night went on, Luke became overwhelmed with all the attention. Luke was definitely not of the social type, and he tried as much as possible to refrain from being sarcastic or making a witty comment.

When dinner finally ended, Luke found the first opportunity to escape to his room and took it. There would be no more of Luke Skywalker that night…at least, in person.

Ryoo turned in for the night and Pooja and Leia both went back upstairs to spend the night catching up. Even Anakin was tired, having waking up early this morning for a Council meeting. This left Sola alone downstairs with Padmé, ready to attack her sister with the real, juicy questions.

They sat down in the spacious living room. Sola sat in front of Padmé and just looked at her for a moment, formulating all her questions in her head. The only sounds to be heard came from the whizzing and whirring of all the speeders outside and the soft trickling of water coming from the fountains all around Padmé's ornately furnished home. Sola like visiting Padmé for this reason. Even though Padmé lived in the heart of one of Coruscant's busiest venues, she was still able to bring Naboo into her home and make it a peaceful living space. Padmé's white draperies lightly billowed with the cool breeze of the night. Sola hated to have to ruin such a perfect evening with such imperfect memories.

"Sola," Padmé began quietly, "I know I've been selfish these past few months, not telling you and our parents about Luke. So anything you want to ask…I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Sola sighed and shook her head, "It's too much, though. Where do I even begin?"

Padmé helped Sola out by narrating the events of the past month according to how she knew them. She told her sister about how Luke had run away from "a terrible monster" that corrupted Luke with dark notions and immoral ideas. She explained to Sola how the Socialist Party in the Senate was just a disguise and that the people acting behind those senators were actually part of a secret society of maniacs working to take over the galaxy.

Sola listened to her sister's rants, completely shocked by everything. Padmé's obviously censored many of the important details, but she left Sola with a basic image of what was truly going on in the galaxy.

Sola couldn't take it. "I don't understand…" She started, "how does Luke even fit in to all of this?"

Padmé shrugged and leaned back in her seat, "He's so powerful, and they need powerful people on their side. They wouldn't stand it if Anakin trained his offspring to be just like him…like a Jedi."

Sola nodded, "So why is Luke in school now?"

Padmé frowned, "What do you mean?"

"If Luke is so 'powerful' because of his genes or whatever, why isn't he trained as a Jedi _now_? Why is he sitting in school like a normal person?"

Padmé sighed, "It's so complicated. I know what you're thinking—training Luke as a Jedi now would be a slap in the face to his previous mentor. But the thing is… Anakin is not allowed to train Luke."

"Why not?" Sola asked, surprised.

Padmé dropped her head, "Master Yoda won't let him. Anakin pleaded with him but…no."

"But, why?"

Padmé shrugged, "I don't pretend to know what half of this Jedi stuff even means, but apparently Luke is too absorbed by the Dark Side, making him a worse candidate for a Jedi than a non-Force sensitive."

Sola raised a skeptical brow. Padmé shrugged.

"Well wouldn't teaching him to be a Jedi just counteract all those Dark Side teachings?"

Padmé shrugged, "That's what I thought too, but the Council really doesn't want Luke to be a Jedi. They just keep repeating 'he's too old' and other lame excuses. I guess they're just not used to having a Jedi with their own children in the Order."

Sola smiled bittersweetly.

* * *

><p>It was well past Padmé's usual bedtime and she found herself unconsciously climbing into bed next to her husband.<p>

"So did you tell Sola everything?"

Padmé bit her lip, "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Anakin shook his head, but realized that the room was so dark that Padmé wouldn't see it. "No," he answered, "I couldn't sleep."

Padmé sighed and rubbed her eyes, adjusting her sleeping position and ruffling all the blankets.

"So you told Sola?" Anakin asked again.

"Yes, and she took it just like I thought she would. I think she was so surprised with all the revelations of secret Sith Orders and whatnot that she forgot about Luke being kidnapped in the first place and then started asking me why Luke wasn't a Jedi."

Anakin sighed, "Well, did you think about what I told you before dinner?"

_Ah_, Padmé thought. Anakin had run to her as soon as it happened. He apparently found a ticket to the Death Star. "Ani, I think it's too dangerous. We don't know this man and we can't possibly trust him to just suddenly start working as a spy for us—"

"But Padmé," Anakin interrupted, "the Force is telling me to do this."

Padmé sighed, "Fine. But you need to tell the Council right away."

Anakin grinned, "Oh, I will."

Padmé rolled her eyes, "They're going to expel you one of these days."

Anakin chuckled. He didn't disagree with her. Anakin knew just as well as everyone else that he had a blatant disregard for the rules. "It's just hard for me to conform, you know?"

Padmé laughed and hit Anakin forcefully on his stomach.

"Hey, watch the abs." Anakin winced, rubbing his abdomen.

Padmé laughed and snuggled up against her husband. She shut her eyes for a moment, and the next thing she knew it was already morning.


	42. Chapter 42

**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

_Luke was on the Death Star again. He felt rejuvenated, complete… He was back in his regular black attire with the Empire insignia stitched onto his left sleeve below the shoulder. His blonde hair was cut shorter—because Vader had never liked it too long. Luke was pacing around the control room in the mighty battle station. He was inches away from the panels and switches that held the power to destroy entire planets. He turned around and saw two guards holding back a small girl. Well, she looked small compared to the guards. She was so different from Luke, wearing a nice white dress as opposed to Luke's black robes. He felt older and wiser than ever before. He looked back at the large window and could see a small planet in the midst. _

_"__You can't do this, Luke." The girl cried, "Naboo is our home—_your_home."_

_Luke smiled and turned back to the girl, "Naboo is _your_home, Leia. Or should I say, _was_your home."_

_Luke turned to the operators waiting for his signal. "Fire when ready."_

_He could sense Leia sobbing silently behind him, but he didn't care. He was on a mission, and his mission was to destroy his whole family._

Luke wasn't sure if he woke up because the light from the blast was too bright, or if the light from the _sun_ was too way, he had now woken up.

Luke swung his legs over the bed and sat for a moment with his head dropped in his hands. _Why_ did he have these dreams? There was no way it was a subconscious thing… Luke knew that Leia's family—_his_ family—was visiting from Naboo. That couldn't possibly have triggered Luke to dream about _destroying_ Naboo though. Luke tried looking within himself. He honestly couldn't find any hatred against his new family that he just met yesterday. It was too weird for him to dream about killing them all.

Luke got out of bed and went over to the mirror to get a look at himself. His hair was shaggy and all over the place. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down. Soon, his hair would reach his chin. It had never been this long before. He remembered his father always forcing him to get it cut almost every month so that it stayed only a few centimeters long. Now that he thought about it, he remembered that his hair was short in his dream as well. That could have simply been a coincidence because for all of Luke's life his hair was short. Or…

Luke looked away from the mirror. There was no way all of this was a coincidence. Luke had that dream about killing his family last night because Vader _wanted_ him to. Vader always had a weird way of interfering with Luke's dreams. This was a message from Vader saying that he was watching him. He was watching Luke.

There was no way Vader would know about Padmé's relatives visiting unless he was watching Luke. That's the only reason Luke had a dream about killing them last night. Right?

Luke sighed and began getting ready. For some reason, the more he thought about his dream, the more it seemed unlikely that Vader was the one who prompted it. Was it even possible for other people to generate weird dreams like that? Vader couldn't possibly be watching Luke's every move, either. He was a very busy guy. Even if he had people doing it for him, Luke probably would have sensed that he was being watched.

Luke would try to find a reason for killing his family later. He wanted to believe that he wasn't as sadistic as Vader, but part of him knew that he definitely had it in him to go around killing people.

He left his room and went downstairs. Anakin and Padmé were already dressed and getting breakfast ready. He soon found Leia running into the kitchen with the most terrified expression Luke had ever seen on her. He immediately feared the worst, realizing that Leia had overheard Luke's thoughts this morning and that she came down to tell on him.

"Mom, I'm out of hairspray!" Leia wailed.

Padmé whipped her head back to look at her daughter, and she looked very serious. "Leia, you have got to be kidding me right now."

"I'm dead serious, we're all out."

"No," Padmé said, shaking her head, "you did _not_ just run down here like a maniac because you ran out of hair gel."

Leia pouted, "Hair_spray_."

Padmé rolled her eyes and went back to cooking. Anakin felt a little more sympathetic, "We'll go out and get you some more later today."

Leia groaned, "But _Dad_, my hair is _grotesque_."

Luke rolled his eyes, "You're so melodramatic."

Leia raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me? _I'm_ melodramatic?"

Luke rolled his eyes but refused to continue on the banter.

Luke definitely suspected Leia of being victim of some sort of bipolar disorder. As soon as she calmed down about the whole hairspray fiasco, Leia went up to her father and leaned on the kitchen counter with a smug expression on her face.

"Dad, guess what."

Anakin, who had been squeezing fresh fruit juice, looked down at his daughter and smiled. "What?"

Leia looked over at Luke and smiled, "Me and Luke…have _twin telepathy_."

Luke's eyes widened and yet again he found himself trying to refrain from smacking his forehead in frustration. "Leia! You're not supposed to _tell_ people!"

Anakin became excited as he looked between Luke and Leia several times, "No way, you've figured it out?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "No—I mean yes—but it's not that amazing. Like, you don't have to pretend to be impressed." Jeez, Luke communicated with Jared, Aria, and Vader all his life via mind telepathy.

Leia's jaw dropped, "Yes it is! That was the first time I've ever communicated with someone without actually speaking to them."

Luke sighed, "Yeah, well it's not because we're 'twins' or whatever. I mean, anyone can read minds."

Anakin raised an eyebrow and Padmé turned around to look at Luke. "I can't read anyone's mind." she said.

Luke paused, for once unsure of what to say. "Well, that's because you're not…"

Anakin, Padmé, and Leia were all just staring at Luke, waiting for him to finish.

"Special." Leia finally said, "You were going to say special."

Luke arched a brow and then Leia just tapped the side of her head, "Twin telepathy."

Padmé laughed, "It's okay, Luke. I was just messing with you."

Luke rolled his eyes and just sat down at the table next to Leia. Padmé was setting the plates on the table while Anakin was filling everyone's glasses with juice. It was at this moment that Luke realized that Aunt Sola and the girls weren't present.

_Jet lag_, Leia explained telepathically.

Luke doubled up his mental shields. He smirked as he saw Leia reach up to her head and pat her hair as if something was wrong.

Anakin and Padmé, who were seated at the table by now, just looked up at Leia with questionable looks.

Leia ignored them and turned to Luke, "How did you turn it off?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "I didn't _turn it off_. I just blocked you out. You're abusing your power."

Leia pouted and then continued eating her food.

"Are you going to the Temple after this?" Padmé asked Anakin, changing the subject.

Anakin nodded, "I have to tell the Council about—"

Anakin stopped midsentence and looked up to see both Luke and Leia staring at him intently.

"About what I told you yesterday." Anakin finished.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you would know nothing without me?" Luke said suddenly.

Padmé gave Anakin a look, indicating that Luke had a good point.

"Fine," Anakin said finally, "you can come with me to the Temple after breakfast, and then..."

The twins waited for their father to continue, but he never did. Luke and Leia exchanged looks and then went back to their meals.

"What was that?" Padmé asked.

Leia shrugged, "Nothing."

Padmé raised an eyebrow.

Leia gave a wry smile and tried imitating her father in her deepest voice, "You can come with me to the Temple after breakfast, and then…"

Everyone laughed at the table except for Anakin, who just attempted suppressing a smile and glared at his daughter. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No!" Leia laughed, "Well, kind of. I mean, you told Luke you'd take him to the Temple, but that doesn't mean you're going to tell him what you and Mom were talking about."

Anakin chuckled, "Fine, fine. I'll tell you everything. Very soon. Wait until we get to the Temple, though."

* * *

><p>After breakfast finished, Luke and Anakin hopped in the speeder and set course for the tall Jedi Temple. Once there, they climbed up the imposing stairs of the Jedi Temple and found Obi-Wan Kenobi waiting for them.<p>

Obi-Wan smiled, "Good morning Anakin, Luke."

Anakin patted Obi-Wan on the back and stirred him around to start walking with him down the grand hall of the Temple. Luke walked quickly next to Anakin to keep up with the two Jedi Masters' long strides.

"I came here to talk to the Council." Anakin told his former master quietly. "I have some…_urgent_…news."

Obi-Wan raised a curious brow, "What news?"

"I found a way to get to the Death Star." Anakin said in an even lower voice, but he smiled with anticipation for the Council to hear his story.

Obi-Wan looked skeptical, "Have you been doing anything rash, Anakin? The Council will be mad if you blow our cover—"

"I didn't do anything except trust the Force." Anakin explained, "And that has been quite helpful to me lately."

Obi-Wan nodded, sneaking a glance at Luke. The three walked up to the turbolift to go up to the High Council Chambers. Just before Anakin and Obi-Wan got in, Anakin turned around one last time to face his son.

He gave Luke a knowing look, "Don't wander off too far."

Luke rolled his eyes, "I won't."

"Don't get in trouble with the other Padawans."

"I _won't!_"

Anakin smiled and ruffled Luke's hair with his hand. He looked at Luke's expression and then burst out laughing. Luke was giving him the most evil glare ever. His eyes said "If you ever do that again, I'll kill you."

Anakin kept laughing as he got into the turbolift and the automatic doors shut behind him. Luke rolled his eyes and left down the hallway again. He kind of liked having free time to go around the Temple like this. The Jedi Temple was like nothing Luke had ever seen in his whole life. Sure, he had explored the Death Star until he knew the station like the back of his hand, but the Jedi Temple was always more… mysterious. Every turn was a new surprise; he could get lost so easily here, and sometimes that was exactly what he wanted.

Whenever Anakin had to attend a Jedi meeting, Luke usually went to watch the other Padawans train or something. Seeing as it was so early in the morning—and the weekend—Luke figured he would not find many of his new "friends" in the practice room. Luke still wasn't sure if he wanted to refer to the other Padawans as his "friends" yet. Luke had definitely been able to get to know many of them pretty well thanks to all the forced visits he had to make with his father.

Luke wandered into one of the large practice rooms that many of the Padawans—as well as the Knights and Masters—used to train and build muscle. Luke had noticed early on that not everyone enjoyed spending time in the practice rooms. Many of the Jedi liked to spend their mornings the Room of a Thousand Fountains, where they could peacefully meditate. When Luke was younger, he used to roll his eyes at meditating. Vader used to make Luke meditate all the time, but Luke just always wanted to do the physical stuff. Now Luke would do all the meditating in the world if it meant he could hold a lightsaber one last time.

Luke left the practice room and began wandering around the halls some more. He stopped when he heard urgent whispers coming from the corner. He looked around and saw two familiar Jedi standing next to one of the large pillars. It was Jerome and Hanalei.

Jerome looked over to where Luke was standing and suddenly his face twisted into a sort of cocky grin.

"Hey, Darth Blondie!"

Luke whipped his head to glare at Jerome, but Jerome looked somewhat serious. "Come here for a sec, we need to ask you something."

Luke contemplated just walking away, but his curiosity got the better of him. It looked like Jerome and Hanalei were discussing something important, and a part of Luke wanted to know what it was.

Luke approached the two Jedi. He gave Hanalei a slight smile, to which she smiled back, and then glared at Jerome.

"So, how's life in school?" Jerome asked, grinning.

Luke rolled his eyes, "What do you want?"

Jerome shrugged, "I was just trying to make conversation. Well, anyway, we were just wondering what you could tell us about the top secret council meeting going on right now."

"Top secret?" Luke repeated.

Hanalei rolled her eyes, "He's exaggerating. All council meetings are top secret."

Luke shrugged, "Well, I don't really know what they're talking about."

Jerome rolled his eyes, "Of _course_ you don't. So tell me, kid—"

"Don't call me kid."

"I think I'll call you kid."

"_Jerome_." Hanalei warned.

Jerome rolled his eyes, "Fine, _Skywalker_. Happy now?"

Luke glared at Jerome, but Jerome just laughed. "Embrace it, kid—I mean, Skywalker."

Hanalei rolled her eyes.

"We don't like it any more than you do." Jerome continued.

Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. We, esteemed Jedi of the Republic, hate to have to think that one of our very own—_the_ Anakin Skywalker—fathered a son that became a Sith Lord—"

"Jerome, just shut up!" Hanalei cried.

"I'm just telling him the truth!" Jerome shot back.

"Force, you've become such an asshole since Nathan died." Hanalei said seriously.

Jerome just gave Hanalei the most disgusted look and then stormed off.

Hanalei sighed, "Great, now he's mad at me."

Luke bit his lip, "Sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault. Jerome used to be so funny and cool. Now he's just a bully."

"I didn't think Jedi could be bullies." Luke said.

Hanalei chuckled, "All the Jedi are bullies. I mean, some of them are nice and cool—like your dad and even Master Obi-Wan—but some of them are just mean."

"Like Master Windu?" Luke offered.

Hanalei laughed, "Like Master Windu."

* * *

><p>Master Windu was slouched in his seat in the High Council Chambers, digesting all that he had just heard. He was frowning at Anakin—which wasn't something new, as he was <em>always<em> frowning at Anakin… But now he had a reason.

"Anakin, are you sure about this?" Master Mundi asked uncertainly.

"Of course!" Anakin repeated for about the millionth time, "The Force was screaming at me to talk to him. I couldn't let him go!"

"Anakin," Master Windu said in a low voice, "have you ever stopped to think that maybe that was all a trap? Maybe Senator Bassa was tricking you all this time?"

Anakin rolled his eyes impatiently, "I think I would have felt a disturbance in the Force or something."

Mace Windu still didn't trust him.

Anakin turned to the Grand Master, "Master Yoda, you're always telling me to listen to the Force. That was exactly what I was doing—"

"Believe you, I do." Master Yoda interrupted, speaking for the first time that morning. "But cautious, I advise you to be."

Anakin sighed and relaxed in his seat, "I will."

"I think Anakin is right." Obi-Wan said after a long silence. "If this is the will of the Force, then the Force is with us today. We need information about the Death Star more than anything. This Senator Bassa may be just as he says. He could just be a pawn of Darth Vader, scared out of his wits to do anything but what he is told. If we offer him protection, he could help us a great deal."

Master Mundi nodded, "If Vader has so many spies in the Republic, then we must have so many spies on the Death Star."

Windu sighed and stood up, "I hope you're right, Skywalker."

Anakin nodded, not really knowing what else to say. One by one, the Masters stood up to leave the chamber. Even Obi-Wan left, leaving Anakin alone with Master Yoda.

"You know why I had to do it, right?" Anakin asked, referring to his encounter with Senator Bassa. "If Bassa saw me eavesdropping, he would have surely told Vader. And then Vader would know that we knew."

Master Yoda nodded, "For staying behind, another reason you have."

Anakin nodded, "I think I really need to teach Luke some of the doctrines of the Jedi."

Yoda raised his eyebrows high, "Discussed this, we already have."

"I know, I know. But what if something happens and I'm not there? I really think we should just let Luke have his own lightsaber, or something—"

"No." Yoda said finally, striking his crane at the floor, "To wield a lightsaber, a Jedi he _must_ be."

"But Master Yoda—"

"As long as Luke stays loyal to the Jedi, he shall be in no harm."

Anakin rolled his eyes, "But—"

"Finished, we are." Yoda said, closing the discussion.

Anakin sighed.

* * *

><p>When Obi-Wan left the Council Chamber earlier, he went downstairs in search for his Padawan and found her talking with Luke. They looked up at him when he approached them.<p>

"Hanalei, didn't I tell you to meditate earlier?"

Hanalei bit her lip, "Sorry, Master, I got distracted."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "That's even worse."

Hanalei cringed, "Sorry, I'll go now! Goodbye, Luke!"

"Bye." Luke said, watching Hanalei run off to meditate.

Obi-Wan turned to Luke, "Your father should be here in a moment."

Luke nodded.

"So you've met your cousins, I hear."

Luke nodded again, "Yeah."

Obi-Wan smiled, "Did you like them?"

Luke shrugged, "Sure."

Obi-Wan looked at Luke for a moment and then laughed. Luke frowned, "What?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, still smiling, "Nothing. It's just that… When I look at you, I imagine you to be just like your father. But then when I talk to you, I realize you are _nothing_ like your father."

Luke actually smiled, "Thanks."

Obi-Wan laughed, "There's nothing wrong with being like your father, though. He's my best friend."

Luke just shrugged.

"That boy that was arrested with you—Han Solo—he's _you're_ best friend correct?"

Luke smiled, "Yeah."

"I don't think I'm personally acquainted with him."

"That's probably for the best."

Obi-Wan just laughed again. The two began strolling down the empty halls of the Temple. "What brings you here so early?"

Luke shrugged, "I wanted to know what was going on."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Of course. I was wrong then, you _do_ have a little bit of your father in you."

Luke cracked a smile.

"So did Anakin wake you up this early on a weekend? It seems like such ungodly hours for a teenager."

Luke chuckled, "I was already awake."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Even more like your father, then. He, too, never slept."

Luke frowned, "Why not?"

Obi-Wan shrugged, "Bad dreams, I suppose."

Luke figured that this was his only chance to ask an expert. He didn't want to reveal too much. "Is it possible for your dreams to show your true subconscious desires?"

Obi-Wan frowned, somewhat taken aback by Luke's interest.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said slowly, "that is what dreams are, many would say: your subconscious desires."

Luke shook his head, "I mean, can they show you something that you may want deep down inside, even if you consciously could never hope of wanting such a thing?"

The two were no longer walking, just standing there in the middle of the hall. Obi-Wan sighed, "I don't really know. Dreams can be tricky when it comes to Force-sensitives. Dreams can even tell the future."

Luke widened his eyes.

"But of course, your father would know much more about that then I do. Maybe you should ask him."

Luke was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

Obi-Wan shrugged, "He used to get prophetic dreams all the time."

Luke looked up at the Jedi Master. Obi-Wan's voice softened, "He used to dream about his mother's death."

Luke's eyes almost exploded out of his head, hoping he found the solution to his problem. "He dreamt about killing her?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, unaware that Luke asked that question with a little too much excitement. "No, just her death. He finally went to Tatooine to check on her, and found her captured by Tusken Raiders. She died in his arms."

Luke suddenly felt very different. He had not expected a turn like that. Luke unexpectedly felt very sorry for Anakin. He felt even worse when he realized that Anakin's mother was actually Luke's grandmother. Part of him felt like his own troubles were nothing compared to the bigger picture. When Anakin once told him about his early enslavement as a child and his mother, he never gave it a second thought. Luke looked down, surprisingly ashamed of himself.

"I know what you're thinking." Obi-Wan said.

Luke's head snapped upward.

"You don't have to feel guilty. Many great Jedi have done worse than you. And _you_ were not even in control of your situations."

Luke didn't say anything, for he didn't know what to say.

"Maybe you'd feel different about yourself if you knew what Anakin had done after his mother died such a cruel and painful death in his arms."

Luke just stared at Obi-Wan, feeling a mixture of anticipation yet dread at the same time.

"He killed them." Ob-Wan said, his voice but a whisper. "He killed them all. All the Tusken Raiders. I'll never forget the day he told me. He just whipped out his lightsaber and slaughtered them all."

Luke was completely perplexed. He could never imagine Anakin Skywalker—_the_ Anakin Skywalker, poster boy of the Republic and hero of the galaxy—do such a thing. Luke could never imagine rage getting the better of such a famous and esteemed Jedi. It almost made Anakin seem human.

"Why wasn't he expelled?" Luke asked after a long time.

Obi-Wan nodded, "That would have seemed logical. Anakin clearly allowed the Dark Side of the Force to manipulate him. He lost his composure. But he never even told the Council. Why would he? The war soon broke out and all was soon forgotten. In fact, your father hadn't told me this story until long after the war. Long after the huge scandal with your mother. Long after…" He looked down at Luke, suddenly aware of who he was speaking to.

He slapped Luke on the back as if he was his pal. He smiled, "The important thing is, Anakin chose what was right in the end. He didn't follow the dark path to pain and suffering. He chose the light instead. He changed his ways and tried to be more Jedi-like. He sacrificed a lot of important things to be a Jedi."

"Like what?"

Obi-Wan shrugged, "Mostly his family and his life. The Jedi are forbidden to form attachments, so Anakin tries to make it look like he is not attached. You know, when you were kidnapped, your father nearly quit being a Jedi."

Luke frowned, "What? Why?"

Obi-Wan nodded, "To spend more time looking for you. Nobody knew—or could even imagine—that you were kidnapped by a _Sith Lord._ Your father wanted to check under every little rock on every planet in the galaxy. He nearly went to them all until the Council finally told him to stop. Years had passed, and everyone lost hope."

Luke looked down. He felt Obi-Wan's hand on his shoulder once more. "I think you need to remember that, Luke. Remember that you represent hope. When your father looks at you, hope swells inside him. He remembers what he had to go through, and how close he was to losing everything. You give him hope, Luke. And hope is the most important thing we have right now."

Obi-Wan said nothing more because Anakin soon showed up and took Luke back home. The two were sitting in Anakin's speeder, and Anakin noticed Luke's very quiet demeanor.

"What are you thinking about?"

Luke shook his head, "Nothing."


	43. Chapter 43

**Finally! Sorry for the long wait, but I have been so busy with class starting again. I procrastinated on all my summer assignments (again) so I had to pull a couple of all-nighters to get through. I hope to get to the juicy parts of this fic soon! I know it may seem like there are long periods of time of which I neglect to update, but I promise I won't be like a lot of those other authors on this site who completely forget about or lose interest in their stories. Thank you all for your patience and your great reviews! **

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FORTY-THREE<strong>

"Where are Padmé and Sola?" Anakin asked, looking around.

Leia shrugged, "They left. Probably out doing something."

Anakin nodded and then left to go upstairs, probably to Padmé's office, with Luke following behind. Luke still wanted to know what was going on in the Jedi Council meeting, and he wasn't going to let Anakin forget to tell him.

This left Leia alone in the living room with her two cousins once again, watching a holodrama and talking.

"So are you happy your Dad is home?" Pooja asked Leia, smiling.

Leia shrugged, "Yeah, at first it was so awesome. But he's been home like this for a long time. He hasn't been out on any mission for weeks."

Pooja nodded, "Yeah, but that's a good thing, right?"

Leia shrugged, "Maybe. But he's been on Coruscant for this long for a reason. I don't know what, but something is definitely going on. Something big…"

Ryoo and Pooja glanced at each other worriedly.

"That doesn't sound good." Pooja said.

Leia nodded.

"Well, how come he isn't at the Temple?" Ryoo asked. "I mean, even when your Dad is on Coruscant, he'd always be at the Temple during the day."

Leia nodded, "Well, ever since Nathan died… He's really had no reason to stay at the Temple."

The girls both groaned. They of course had not known Nathan as well as Leia had; but whenever they saw their Uncle Anakin, Nathan was usually nearby.

"I _cried_ when you told me he died." Pooja said dramatically.

Leia nodded, relating to her grief.

* * *

><p>Luke was sitting on one of the couches in Padmé's office, thinking about what Anakin had just told him about the spy in the Death Star. The first thing that came to Luke's mind was "It's not going to work."<p>

Luke didn't say anything, but he knew that Vader would be able to sense if there was anyone unfaithful near him on his precious Death Star. It was too much of a risk.

Anakin didn't leave it up for discussion however, and soon changed the subject. "What were you talking about with Master Kenobi?"

Luke looked at Anakin, "Nothing."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? You were very quiet on the ride home. You had to have talked about _something_."

_Yeah, we talked about you killing an entire tribe of Tusken Raiders on account of your rage_, Luke thought.

"Nothing, really. Just the weather and stuff like that." Luke lied.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at Luke, but nodded anyway.

* * *

><p>The Skywalkers and the Naberries went out for dinner that evening. They went to one of the fanciest restaurants Luke had ever seen. In fact, Luke couldn't even remember the last time he had ever been to a restaurant. They sat at a large circular table. Luke sat in between Anakin and Ryoo. At first, Luke felt as if every time one of Padmé's relatives looked at him, they knew that Luke dreamt of killing them. Luke's paranoia began to die out however as Ryoo kept up a nice conversation with Luke for most of the time. Luke decided that he actually liked Ryoo and that she was cool. He didn't mind the fact that she was like twelve years older than him. In fact, Luke liked the idea that she was so much older than him because Luke himself was an adult trapped in a teenager's body.<p>

Leia caught his eye and Luke instantly knew that she had overheard that last thought. He had to learn how to keep his thoughts to himself a little better.

* * *

><p>When the seven of them returned back to 500 Republica, the twins along with Ryoo and Pooja decided to spend the rest of the night just talking in Leia's room. Anakin, Padmé, and Sola were down in the living room conversing idly until Anakin received a call on his comlink.<p>

Anakin stood up and went out to the balcony, not answering the call until he was out where the speeders in the night sky could drown out his voice.

A small blue hologram of Senator Bassa projected from the comlink. Anakin raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Master Skywalker," Senator Bassa greeted, his voice crackling with static. "I have good news for you."

"What is it?" Anakin asked eagerly.

"I have been scheduled a specific date to travel to the Death Star. I shall be taking a transport with Senator Tarkin at the end of this week."

Anakin was thrilled, "This is perfect timing. Stop by the Jedi Temple the night before you leave. Come alone and try not to be seen."

The senator of Fondor nodded his head and bid a farewell. Anakin deactivated his comlink and strolled back into the living room, feeling proud that he accomplished something big in the making. Padmé looked up at him and arched a curious brow, "You seem happy."

Anakin shrugged, grinning madly. He plopped down on the couch and folded his arms behind his head.

"Seriously, what is it?"

Anakin shrugged, "I'm just the greatest Jedi ever, that's all."

Sola laughed at the joke and Padmé just rolled her eyes at her cocky husband.

* * *

><p>The next day, everyone had to say goodbye to Aunt Sola and her girls. Everyone kept coming back for another hug with Luke, but after an hour of goodbyes it was finally time to go.<p>

"I still can't believe you never told us." Sola told Padmé just before she got into the transport that would take the Naberries off to the space shuttle they were going to fly to Naboo.

Padmé bit her lip, conveying her apology for the millionth time.

"Everyone back home is going to want to see him now." Sola said matter-of-factly.

"I know." Padmé sighed.

"Just come over during winter break." Sola said, smiling. "The twins will be off school for a couple of weeks, right? It's the perfect time."

Padmé bit her lip, "That's too soon, don't you think? With everything going on right now…"

Sola's eyes bulged out, "Soon? Winter break isn't for another month! It's not soon at all, if you ask me."

Padmé chuckled and hugged her older sister one last time, "Goodbye, we'll miss you."

* * *

><p>A couple of days had passed.<p>

It was well past nightfall and Anakin was waiting atop the steps of the grand Jedi Temple. After a few moments, Anakin spotted him.

Senator Bassa climbed up the steps hurriedly, not wanting to be seen. When he reached the top, he gave the Jedi Master a nervous smile.

Anakin gestured toward the hall. The two began walking.

"What happens if he finds out?" Senator Bassa said in a low voice, a little too frantically.

"He won't." Anakin told him for the millionth time.

"Don't you know what he does to traitors?" Bassa asked.

"No." Anakin answered, looking at the Senator.

Bassa nodded, "Uh-huh, that's because none of them live to tell the tale."

Anakin rolled his eyes and then stopped outside one of the more secluded meeting rooms of the Jedi Temple. He gestured for the senator to go in, and then followed after him.

This room was not a usual meeting place for the Jedi. The only other person present in the room was Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin motioned for Senator Bassa to sit down. Obi-Wan came up to Anakin and handed him a small case.

"What's that?" Bassa asked.

Anakin opened the case and Matthias peered in. "I don't see anything."

Anakin smiled, "Good."

Obi-Wan took out a pair of tweezers and reached inside of the case. It seemed like he was holding up a very miniature chip.

"This is a very different type of technology than you're used to." Anakin introduced. "When you go to the Death Star, we want to be able to see everything _you're_ seeing."

Obi-Wan approached the senator with the small chip in his hand.

"Master Kenobi is going to attach the chip to one of the buttons on your suit. When the chip is activated, it will send a feed right here to this holo projector." Anakin said, motioning to the large station behind him behind him.

Matthias nodded slowly.

"Vader will never notice it." Anakin reassured him, "The chip will look like part of the button when we're done."

"What exactly is the purpose of this?" The senator asked.

"We just want to see what the inside of the Death Star looks like." Anakin shrugged like it was no big deal, "We want to see who the people are that hang around there all the time. We want to see what they do."

"All you have to do," Obi-Wan began, "is what you usually _would_ have done if you never had spoken to us. We should not interfere with anything you were sent to the Death Star to do. If Vader asks you a question, answer it with all honesty. You don't have to keep secrets from them."

"Except for this little meeting." Anakin interjected.

"Of course."

Anakin smiled. The three bowed heads, content with their gathering.

For the first time tomorrow, Anakin Skywalker would witness the evil lair of his newly discovered arch nemesis, Darth Vader.


	44. Chapter 44

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

Luke felt different that morning while he was sitting in his homeroom at school. He was different, but unsure of _how_. Was it nervousness? Was it fear? No. Luke was not afraid. He was never afraid of anything—or at least, he tried not to be.

He knew what was happening today. He knew that his father was making the worst mistake ever by messing with Darth Vader. He knew that something would go wrong. He knew that there would be consequences.

Luke's closest friend, Han Solo, noticed this.

"You seem tense."

Luke snapped out of his trance and turned to look at Han. "What do you mean?"

Han shrugged, "I don't _mean_ anything; I'm just stating what I see."

Luke turned back, not even bothering to respond.

"It's today, isn't it?" Han said, the tone in his voice making it seem obvious that he was smiling.

Luke frowned and looked at Han. Han shouldn't know what was going on. How _would_ he know? "What are you talking about?"

"Today is the day." Han said, still smiling. "The grand finish. The season finale. The truth will all be revealed. This is it. Today."

Luke rolled his eyes, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, but I'm not going to elaborate on it just in case we have any undercover Imps around."

Under normal circumstances, Luke would have rolled his eyes at the thought that some of his classmates were spies. But now, he was too paranoid to even oppose.

"Have you recently done anything wrong?" Han asked.

Luke frowned, "No?"

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Luke sighed, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know enough," Han replied. "Besides, I know you. I know that you would never be so tensed up like this if it was for the sake of other people."

"I'm not like you, Solo. I'm not just thinking about myself here."

"Oh, but you are _very_ much like me and you are _most definitely_ thinking about yourself." Han refuted coolly. "You don't care about a stupid senator risking his life to show the Jedi what the Death Star looks like or whatever. And you're not worried about all the Jedi who are going on Vader's hit list once he finds out. You aren't troubled that your whole family might be killed. You're only concerned that you might have chosen the wrong side."

Luke wanted to get up and punch his friend in the face. "You don't know that!" He hissed, trying not to raise his voice in this public setting. "I _do_ care about what happens to my family, seeing that this is all kind of my fault."

Han just laughed cruelly, "How? How is this _your_ fault?"

Luke just took a deep breath and settled down, not allowing Han to get to him. "You wouldn't understand."

Han just rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair, "Oh yeah, that's me," he said with heavy sarcasm. "I'm Han Solo who just _doesn't_ understand."

* * *

><p>After school ended, Luke climbed into the front seat of his father's speeder while Leia sat in the back. He noticed that Anakin was in a hurry, wanting to get back to the Temple as soon as possible.<p>

Once they started flying, Anakin spoke. "I'm going to drop you two off at home, okay? Your mother and I may not be back until late tonight."

Luke and Leia were simultaneously glaring at Anakin.

"Dad, let us come with you!" Leia whined.

"Yeah," Luke agreed, his tone leaning on the verge of 'whining.' "If we just _go_ with you and wait at the Temple, you would not waste any time by dropping us off."

"Yeah!" Leia agreed.

Anakin sighed, "No."

"But, _why_!" Leia wailed. "You can't just leave us home alone! Isn't it better for us at the Temple?"

Anakin frowned, not considering that it _would_ be safer for the twins at the Temple.

"Fine," he surrendered. "You two can come. But you have to wait somewhere else with the other Padawans. Neither of you set foot in the presentation room."

* * *

><p>For the second time in the past hour, Anakin was defeated once again. Although he told the twins to stay out of the way, Luke was somehow able to convince Obi-Wan Kenobi to let him in and watch what was going on. Nobody else had a problem with this except for Anakin. Frustrated, Anakin at least made sure that his daughter would not be in the room. She could threaten Anakin all she wanted about her sneaking in somehow or eavesdropping, but Anakin made her wait in the training room with the other apprentices of the Jedi Masters who were in the room.<p>

"It's not fair, is it?" Jerome said to Leia. "We have to wait here while our Masters—and _your_ father—get to learn all kinds of cool secrets about the Sith."

Leia shrugged, slumped down in her seat. She was sitting in the lounge area with Jerome Landski, Hanalei Karla, and a few other Jedi her age.

"Do you know what's even more unfair?" Jerome continued, "That even Darth Blondie himself gets to sit with the other Masters and watch the feed from the Death Star. He's not even a Jedi! He's probably sitting in that room, waiting for some sort of cue from his Sith master. That's the only reason he wants to be in there right now. And Force knows why Master Kenobi let him."

"Jerome," Hanalei warned, "Luke is not a Sith. You must stop saying such things."

Jerome rolled his eyes and stood up. "I deserve to know what's going on in that room if Master Tano gets to too. _She's_ not a member of the Council, but _she_ still gets to sit in with them. I'm not a child anymore. I refuse to wait here any longer." He began walking out.

Hanalei and Leia shot up from their seats and quickly followed him.

"Jerome, where are you going?" Hanalei asked, her voice quavering. She was a stickler for the rules, just like her master. If Master Kenobi found out that she was not following his orders to stay in the training room, she would die of shame and embarrassment.

Leia, on the other hand, sided with Jerome. Why should her brother be allowed to know what the hell was going on and not she? She happily followed Jerome down to the presentation room. Hanalei reluctantly followed behind to try to keep them out of trouble.

The three of them stood crouching outside of the door. Jerome was in front, leaning his head on the door trying to listen. Leia stood directly behind him doing the same thing. Hanalei was the only one standing erect behind the two, not caring for such sneaky activity.

"You know," Hanalei whispered, "there are a dozen Jedi Masters in there right now. They are bound to sense eavesdroppers standing outside of the door."

Jerome shrugged, "I've been learning how to cloak my presence through the Force. And besides, they are much too focused on what is going on inside to care about who is listening in outside of their door."

"What makes you think that?" Hanalei asked.

Jerome smiled and looked up at his friend, "Because Senator Bassa has finally reached the Death Star."

* * *

><p>Luke sat in the very back of the room. He wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible; it was best for him to stay out of the way. He would rather not be the center of attention, just in case certain people came up that none of the Jedi in this room knew. Luke didn't want to have to answer questions like that. He just wanted to see what the Death Star looked like since he had last been on it more than half a year ago.<p>

It might as well been the premiere of a famous holo drama. Practically every member of the Jedi High Council was present, and Luke's mother was there too. They were sitting on the edge of their seats, staring up at the colossal projection of the feed that Senator Bassa was sending in. He was still on the space shuttle, but the gigantic space station was coming into view.

* * *

><p>For hours, Matthias Bassa was sitting—and sometimes sleeping—for hours in the same seat on Wilhuff Tarkin's private space shuttle. Tarkin never disclosed the exact coordinates of the Death Star to Matthias, and he never told him how long it was going to take until they reached the infamous space station. Matthias did not know they were in range of the Death Star until he got up and looked out the window.<p>

"Why is that small moon out there not orbiting another planet?" Matthias wondered aloud, "What sector are we in, Senator?"

Wilhuff Tarkin came up to stand next to Matthias, his hands overlapped behind his back and his head held up high.

"That's no moon," Tarkin smiled, baring his crooked teeth. "That's a space station."

Matthias snapped his head back to look out the window, getting a better look at the Death Star for the first time. He could see it nearing now. It certainly was no moon! Matthias caught glimpses of small foreign star fighters.

"What are those things flying around?" Matthias pointed out the window.

Tarkin curled his lips and turned back around to sit in his chair. "Those are TIE fighters, my friend."

Matthias frowned, "We don't make those on Fondor."

"Of course not," Tarkin said, pouring himself an alcoholic drink. He looked up at Matthias and gestured to the bottle in his hand, "Care for some liquor?"

Matthias readily agreed, wanting to do anything to calm his nerves. He tried not thinking about it before, but now he could not ignore the fact that he would be sitting face-to-face with the Dark Lord in merely minutes.

Their shuttle slowly eased in to one of the many hangar bays of the space station. As Matthias followed behind Senator Tarkin, he took in all the sights around him. There were all types of foreign-looking ships of the latest models. There were men streaming through the hangar dressed up in their black uniforms and ebony helmets. Matthias caught glimpses of officers of all ranks, shouting orders or leading their men. He knew that this was only one hangar bay of hundreds, but he was already awed at the hustle and bustle of just a small portion of Vader's glory.

* * *

><p>What the Jedi witnessed was something so out of the imaginary that they were at a complete loss for words. Many of the Jedi had thought—and hoped—that Vader's "Death Star" was just a large empty globe filled with empty threats. They never imagined finding squadrons of men in uniform and peculiar new types of star fighters. They never imagined that the size of the Death Star was so colossal that Senator Bassa had thought it was a moon. They had also certainly never thought that so many of the government officials they knew were secretly a part of this order.<p>

When Bassa and Tarkin exited from their shuttle, they were greeted by Senators Kelli Dasknatta and Firmus Piett with smiling faces.

Anakin looked over to his right where his wife was sitting. The look on her face expressed betrayal. He shook his head slowly and looked back up.

The four senators were walking out of the hangar bay and into a turbolift. They were alone in the enclosed space.

"So when do I get to speak with him?" Bassa asked after mustering up as much courage as he could.

Senator Dasknatta shrugged, her aging face twisting into an unsure countenance. "Perhaps in a few days."

Matthias's eyes almost exploded out of his head, "A few _days_?!"

The other three senators gave him a strange look.

Matthias was fuming, "Why did I come all the way out here if he's not even _here_?"

"Relax, Matthias." Senator Dasknatta said wearily, looking at her reflection in the mirrors on the walls of the turbolift to adjust her graying auburn hair that was neatly clipped behind her head.

Firmus Piett smirked, "Vader will be here soon, no worries. Besides, now you have all the time in the galaxy to explore this wonderful space station without the likelihood that you may run into him at any moment."

Matthias huffed, still angry that his time was being wasted by being held captive of this horrible space station for much longer than he thought.

* * *

><p><strong>We're getting there! What are your thoughts?<strong>


	45. Chapter 45

**I'm glad we've finally come to this chapter, but I'm afraid that it might be a little confusing... The setting switches up a lot during this chapter, and I didn't insert many breaks throughout to show that. I didn't want to make it look like this chapter was happening over a long period of time, because it's not. This chapter overall is probably only an hour or two in this whole night. Just remember that Luke and the Council are sitting in a room at the Temple while Matthias Bassa is at the Death Star with a camera on his clothes to record everything that's going on. The new people that you meet in this chapter may say a lot of confusing things, but it will all be explained in the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE<strong>

The Jedi were noticeably much less enthused after learning that they would not be getting to see the actual Dark Lord of the Sith in action while they were spying on the Death Star. Anakin seemed the most disappointed with the discovery.

On the other hand, Luke was relieved that he was going to avoid the awkwardness of spying on his former master in the presence of all these other Jedi. Luke was afraid that his emotions might betray him, and reveal something that Luke so desperately did not want to reveal.

The Jedi and Luke's mother were still watching nonetheless. After an hour of touring the main points of the Death Star (awing all of the Jedi), Matthias was invited to have a drink with a couple of other admirals on the space station in one of the many lounges. The Jedi might finally learn some juicy information that they have so desperately wanted to hear.

* * *

><p>The lounge that Admiral Conan Antonio Motti and General Cassio Tagge took Matthias to was dark, crowded, and obnoxiously loud.<p>

Matthias was beyond uncomfortable. As he sat across from the general and admiral and gave a disgusted look around to his surroundings.

"Is this where all the other senators come for a drink?" Matthias asked, completely stunned at the unprofessionalism going on around him. There were men playing various drinking games, gambling on games of sabacc, and drunkenly singing along to very outdated music. Matthias just could not imagine Senator Tarkin sitting among these men having a good time.

Motti and Tagge glanced at each other and then burst out laughing. Matthias turned his attention back to the men in front of him.

"What?" He asked self-consciously.

Motti laughed, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "Of course the other senators don't come down here. Tarkin and Dasknatta wouldn't be caught _dead_ down here."

"This is the pilots' lounge." Tagge explained. "All the high ranks from the army and navy come down here and get drunk every weekend. It's fun for me and Conan when we have nothing else to do."

Motti nodded, "It gets dreadful boring living on the Death Star after a while."

Matthias shook his head, confused. "Why don't you ever leave the Death Star? I mean, I know it's your job to maintain the space station and all, but don't you get vacations?"

Motti pursed his lips, shaking his head. "People like me and Tagge are very important to the Death Star. We know all kinds of secrets that Loyalists would shoot each other to find out."

Tagge chuckled, pouring himself a glass of hard liquor. "Vader doesn't want us and all our secrets out in the open."

Matthias frowned, "But what about Tarkin and Dasknatta? They know a lot, and they travel all around the galaxy."

Motti gave a wry chuckle, "The difference between me and Wilhuff Tarkin? Vader _trusts_ Tarkin."

"He doesn't trust you?" Matthias wondered, disbelieved. "If he doesn't trust you, why does he keep you here at all—"

"Conan's exaggerating." Tagge rolled his eyes, "Vader trusts us, but he just… He doesn't like to…"

Tagge sat there frowning for a minute, unsure of how to explain his peculiar position to the senator.

"It's complicated." Motti said at last.

Matthias nodded, not really caring enough to press them for more about the subject. "Do you think he'll keep _me_ prisoner on the Death Star too?"

Tagge raised an eyebrow, "Gee, 'prisoner' is kind of a harsh word. I like to think of it as _an honor_ to be here." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

* * *

><p>Luke was getting bored with Bassa's lame conversation. True, he did not want to leave the room and miss out on any more "secrets" that may be unveiled…but he was still bored.<p>

The three men began talking about the various people (who weren't senators) that worked for Vader. Tagge was explaining to Bassa about "the table" and went down the list of all the important people who sat on it.

"And Natasi Daala," Tagge continued, "is the bitch that thinks she runs this show."

The alcohol was definitely beginning to get to the three men. Tagge's descriptions of his fellow coworkers were becoming more and more lewd as he went through more and more glasses of liquor.

"Yeah, I know." Matthias agreed, chuckling. "I spoke to her on the comm. Not my favorite woman in the galaxy."

"Yeah," Tagge agreed, "she basically does all of Vader's work for him."

Matthias raised an eyebrow, "What, is she his right-hand man? Er, woman?"

"Nah," Motti hiccupped, "she's just a slut."

The three men burst out laughing, their drinks obviously getting to their heads. Another man came and approached them, smiling at them devilishly.

"What do you want, Captain?" Motti asked, his head spinning.

"Ah, it's _General_ now, Admiral Motti." The man said, smiling proudly.

Tagge and Motti looked up at him, surprised.

"Sit down, Veers." Motti said, straightening up and clearing his throat.

Veers sat down in the booth across from his friends, next to Bassa. He beamed at the three men.

"Senator," Tagge cleared his throat, "this is, ah, _General_ Maximilian Veers of the…"

Motti looked at Veers questioningly. Veers's grin only widened, "The Death Squadron, Admiral."

Matthias looked around to the three men sitting around him, "What's that?"

Veers laughed and gestured towards Matthias with his thumb while looking across the table to Motti and Tagge, "New guy?"

Motti and Tagge nodded.

Veers turned to Matthias to explain, "The Death Squadron is only the most prestigious squadron of the whole Imperial Navy. You'll be hearing a lot more about us when the war finally starts."

"W-War?" Matthias repeated.

Veers only laughed at the new guy's ignorance.

The four men were soon approached by yet another man. This man, looking much younger than both Tagge and Motti, laughed at the gathering. "What have we here? A gossip circle?"

Veers grinned up at the young man, "Come join us, Lorth. We were just fawning over my recent promotion."

Lorth sat down in front of Matthias and Veers on the same side of the booth as Motti and Tagge, with Motti in the middle.

"Senator Bassa," Tagge introduced, "this is Captain Lorth Needa. He, too, is assigned to the Death Squadron."

"Yes," Veers smirked, "but _I _am higher in ranking."

Needa rolled his eyes and turned to Motti and Tagge, "He's been like this all day, ever since Vader promoted him this morning. Imagine having to listen to his bragging _all day_."

"Oh, don't be jealous Lorth!" Veers chuckled, "You're still so young; your time will come!"

Needa shrugged, chuckling along. "Yeah, I guess."

Matthias frowned, still thinking about something that Lorth Needa had said only a moment ago. He turned to General Veers, "Vader promoted you _this_ morning?"

"Yes, sir!" Veers laughed cheerfully.

Matthias's frown only got deeper, "He was here this morning? Why did he leave?"

Veers shrugged, not really caring. "Probably some meeting with someone somewhere."

"But almost everyone is on the Death Star, _here_. He was supposed to meet with _me_."

Motti rolled his eyes, sick of hearing about Senator Bassa's same complaint for the hundredth time that day. "Relax, Matt. Can I call you Matt?"

Matthias ignored him and turned his attention back to Veers.

"What was so important that he had to leave the Death Star already? There's a million people on this space station. Surely he could have had anyone to go out and run whatever errand or—"

"Senator," Tagge interrupted, "you're being irrational. Maybe what he had was important. Besides, Vader couldn't trust just _anybody_ to do something for him."

Matthias rolled his eyes, "He's a Sith master, right? Doesn't he have an apprentice or something?"

Admiral Motti and General Tagge burst out laughing. Matthias frowned, "What?"

Tagge just shook his head, still laughing. "Vader's apprentice? I wouldn't trust Vader's apprentice to pour a glass of milk!"

Motti nodded, laughing even harder. "Biggest idiot on the Death Star."

Luke, who had been paying close attention to the conversation ever since the word "apprentice" came up, tried to cover the smirk on his face. Hearing people such as Admiral Motti and General Tagge talk about Jared in such a bad light really gave Luke the mood uplift that he needed. It was all too funny.

He noticed that the other Jedi began paying closer attention to the conversation as well. It was common knowledge that if there was one Sith Lord, there had to be another one: his apprentice. Learning about the apprentice would be just as vital as learning about the master himself.

Back on the Death Star, Veers and Needa glanced at each other, not joining in on Motti and Tagge's laughter.

"You know," Needa began, looking offended at Motti and Tagge's jokes. "Vader's apprentice is probably the smartest person I know."

Tagge and Motti stopped laughing for a second. They stared at Captain Needa and then burst out laughing even harder.

Needa scowled, "What are you _laughing_ at?"

"You!" Motti exclaimed, "You, thinking that _Jared_ is the smartest person you know."

Needa just looked at Motti like he had horns growing out of the sides of his head. "_Jared_? You think _Jared_ is Darth Vader's apprentice?"

Motti and Tagge's laughter died out.

"Jared is no more than Vader's harebrained son." Needa explained.

"He's actually embarrassed to even _call_ him his son." Veers added, matter-of-factly.

Tagge frowned at Needa, "Then who were _you_ talking about?"

"Luke, of course."

Luke, still sitting at the very back of the room, suddenly became tense. His face was rigid and he kept his gaze directly as the projection of the feed from the Death Star, not daring to start looking around at the reactions of the other Jedi. He could feel some of them turning around to get a look at him, but he ignored all of them. Senator's Bassa's conversation has just entered troubled waters.

Motti and Tagge just looked at Captain Needa with suspicious looks.

Tagge cleared his throat, "Captain, that Luke boy is not Vader's apprentice."

Needa raised his eyes at Tagge, "Oh really?"

Tagge nodded, "Nobody ever sees him around on the Death Star anymore. Vader never speaks of him. It's like he doesn't even exist."

"Why's that?" Needa urged, still not buying the fact that Luke is no longer Vader's apprentice.

Tagge lifted his arms out wide, thinking his point was obvious and that this topic of conversation was an old one. "He ran away!"

This time, it was Veers and Needa who laughed.

"Ran away?" Needa repeated, still laughing.

"Tagge, you're not usually one to strike me as stupid." Veers commented.

Tagge just frowned, clearly too intoxicated to think up a comeback to Veers's nonchalant remark.

"_Ran away?_" Needa repeated again after he finished laughing. "You two _know_ Darth Vader, right?"

Tagge and Motti nodded stupidly.

"Alright, then what makes you think that a thirteen year-old kid can just _desert_ and then not be _killed_ for it?"

Tagge and Motti both frowned, neither of them having thought of that before. If there was one thing they both knew for a fact, it was that Darth Vader _never_ let anyone live after betraying him.

Silence became the booth. There was laughter, noises, and the clanking of beer bottles and shot glasses coming from the background… but the five men sitting at the table sat in silence.

"Look, I knew the blonde kid better than any one of you." Needa said after a bit. "I know for a fact that he didn't desert or run away or _anything_. He was as loyal to the Empire as anybody."

Motti narrowed his eyes at Needa, "How do you know him so well? It's not like Vader spent his times down in the hangar bays while at the Death Star. He'd always be upstairs, and his apprentice with him."

Needa shook his head, "The idle talk of politics is not amusing to a young boy. He found much more thrill down with the other pilots in the lounges."

Veers chuckled, "I remember playing sabacc with the kid. Big mistake on my part."

Needa nodded, "Yes, he definitely conned us out of all our money."

Motti shook his head, annoyed with all of this idle reminiscing. "If he didn't run away, then why—"

Motti shut his mouth, afraid that he might say too much. Needa raised his eyebrow, encouraging him to go on.

Tagge spoke for him, "What Conan was trying to say is that… Well… We all heard that Luke's actually the son of Anakin Skywalker. He's a Jedi."

Needa rolled his eyes, "Then you obviously didn't hear the whole story."

Motti got defensive. "I'm sure we know the whole story already, _Captain_. Vader's apprentice is a Jedi. Vader couldn't want a _Jedi_ to be in his ranks, even if he was loyal to the Empire."

"You idiot, Motti," Veers said seriously, "Luke's not a Jedi—"

"Pay attention who you're talking to, _General_," Motti said venomously, "I'm not an idiot. The son of a Jedi is a Jedi. It's called _genetics_; it's hereditary."

Needa blurted out laughing, "Are you kidding me now, Admiral? Being a Jedi is not hereditary. It's a _lifestyle_."

"A terrible lifestyle, at that," Tagge muttered.

"This is all a scam," Needa continued, "Vader _planned_ it."

Veers nodded, "Luke knew all along that his father was actually a Jedi. He went to Coruscant and pretended that he ran away to get the Jedi to trust him."

At this point, the tension in the presentation room at the Jedi Temple was so palpable that Luke felt like he could actually feel the stiffness in the room. Luke was at a total loss for words. He was watching the discussion of the four men on the Death Star, but all he could see was the Jedi in front of him all scowling, frowning in confusion, and stiffening their backs. Luke desperately wanted to jump up and scream "It's all a lie! Don't listen to them!" …But he couldn't.

Luke's eyes were as wide as they could go. He stared up at the projection of the Death Star feed in horror. A few Jedi here and there turned their heads to get a look at him, but Luke tried to ignore them all. Luke's only concern was Anakin now. All he needed was Anakin to still trust him.

But Anakin never turned around to face him. He kept staring directly at the projection.

Luke tried taking a deep breath, but there was nothing to be relieved about.

Back on the Death Star, the conversation of the four men got even more intense.

"Captain, is there something you know that we don't?" Motti asked, almost in a threatening manner.

Needa was not intimidated. "I guess so."

Tagge looked over at Motti and realized that his friend was getting angry. He decided to take on the conversation from here, "Captain, what you are saying doesn't make sense. Why would Luke go to Coruscant and get the Jedi to trust him? Wouldn't he basically be revealing all sorts of secrets of the Empire? Why would he do such a thing if he was truly still loyal to us?"

Needa's lips curled, smiling at his superiors, "Because Vader wanted him to."

Luke's balled his fists and clenched his teeth. He couldn't watch this anymore…

Tagge shook his head, still not understanding. "How could Vader want all of his secrets revealed to the Jedi? Vader's most important objective was secrecy."

"Yes, but I'm sure Vader realized that the benefit of secrecy was no longer on his side."

"How so?"

"Well, for one," Needa explained, "everyone on the Death Star soon learned that Vader was secretly allianced with the Black Sun. That was pretty scandalous."

"Indeed it was." Veers agreed.

"Soon, Vader realized that if he couldn't keep secrets from his own people, then he would not be able to keep secrets from the whole galaxy."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Motti asked, annoyed.

"Everything," Needa replied calmly. "Vader thought it would be better to quench the curiosity of the Jedi by giving them false information. You and I both know that the Jedi knew something was fishy, but they're too stupid to figure it out on their own. So, Vader gave them the satisfaction of knowing that there _was_ a Sith Lord conspiring to take over the galaxy."

Motti gave a wry laugh, "Why in the world would Vader do that?"

"To confuse the Jedi, of course." Needa said, as if it was completely obvious. "Maybe a part of Vader thought that raising up an army was too much, because we all know that the Republic's army has been degraded to local police work. Vader wanted a fight, so he decided to let the Jedi in on his fun."

"You're just making things up, Needa."

"No," Veers defended, "he's speaking the truth."

"And Luke was the best one to do the job." Needa continued.

"Why is that?"

"Because he's Anakin Skywalker's son." Needa answered.

Tagge shook his head as if this was all nonsense. "How do you know that maybe Luke is mad that Vader never told him who his real parents were, and then ran away?"

"How do _you_ know," Needa shot back, "that Luke knew who his parents were all along and then pretended to run away because Vader told him to?"

Tagge narrowed his eyes at Needa, "Why would Vader tell Luke such a thing?"

"Why would Vader allow Luke to run off without killing him?" Needa refuted.

"Maybe Luke actually hates the Sith and wants to be a Jedi? Maybe he actually likes Anakin Skywalker?"

Needa let out a loud laugh, "But he doesn't!"

"How do you know that?" Motti raised his voice, "Why do you think you know everything?!"

Needa slammed both of his fists on the table and stood up, "Because, Luke told me! He doesn't _like_ the Jedi, he _hates_ them! He was the one that killed Anakin Skywalker's apprentice!"

Everyone in the presentation room gasped. Every single Jedi turned around to look at Luke, to _glare_ at him.

Betrayal.

Luke sensed the feeling of betrayal rolling off each of the Jedi present in the room. Luke did not meet the eyes of any one of them.

Luke was already up and standing at the door, ready to get the hell out of there. He looked back once more to the only Jedi whom he had ever wanted approval from.

Anakin looked back at Luke; there was shock in his eyes, but also hurt. Luke knew that he had hurt him. At this point, Luke couldn't even tell if Anakin believed him anymore. If _any_ of the Jedi believed Luke…

Lorth Needa had done a good job of making the Jedi and his mother all suspect Luke. His mother…

Luke dared to meet the eyes of his mother. She was terrified. She had a hand over her mouth. She believed what Needa said. They all did…

Luke couldn't blame them. It was all true.

Luke made a quick exit from the room. The other Jedi were too much in shock to stop him. As the door opened and Luke went out, he faced three more accusatory eyes.

Jerome, Hanalei, and Leia all gaped at Luke. They had been standing outside of the door, listening to everything going on in the room. They just stood back, too much in shock to do anything else.

There was pure hatred glistening in Jerome's eyes. In front of him stood the person who killed his best friend.

Luke couldn't even look at Leia. He didn't want to face her. He knew that facing Leia's disappointment would be ten times worse than confronting Padmé's. It was too much.

Luke just quickly walked away. His pace became quicker and quicker until he found himself _running_ out of the Jedi Temple.

He didn't know where he was going, only that he had to get as far away from the Temple as possible. The disappointment of the Jedi was too much for Luke. For some reason, it really bothered him. Luke couldn't help but feel sorry for his actions, even if Luke had not known what he was doing at the time.

By now, Luke was far from the Temple. He had made his way all the way down to the busy Undercity of Coruscant. He needed somewhere to blend in and hide until he could leave this terrible planet and all of its scorn for Luke.

Luke slowed down. His run reduced to a brisk walk. Soon, he began slowing down. The atmosphere was colder down here. Luke narrowed his eyes. It was a lot less busy than usual…

Before, Luke had tried to fend off his mixed emotions after what happened at the Temple. But now—now that Luke was all alone here—he had all the time in the world to confront his thoughts.

What had just happened? How did his life drastically change so quickly?

This had happened to him once before. Half a year ago…

Luke was ordered by his father—Darth Vader—to kill Jared. He had to kill the closest thing he had to a brother…

Of course, Luke couldn't do it. He couldn't kill his brother. He failed.

Thus, he ran away. He couldn't face Vader and tell him he failed to kill his brother. He wouldn't be able to make Vader understand. How could he? How would Vader understand? Vader knew nothing of love. Luke wouldn't be able to explain to Vader how he had loved Jared and how he couldn't kill him.

He had to run away… And he did. He took the first flight out of Corellia and went wherever the wind would take him.

Now, he would have to do the same thing all over again.

Luke had left so abruptly from the Temple. He never even tried to explain himself to the other Jedi.

But even if he had tried, would the Jedi believe him? All the masters on the Council already failed to trust Luke. Anakin was the only one who had faith in him.

Luke shook his head. There was no way that Anakin could ever trust him now. Now that it was revealed that Luke had killed Anakin's apprentice… Luke saw the look on Anakin's face. It was pure horror at what Luke had done. No one would be able to accept what Luke was. He'd never be able to explain himself. Yes, Luke had done the right thing by running out.

The feeling that Luke was being followed was stronger now more than ever. Luke walked slowly, his thoughts put on hold as he sought out a stalker.

He thought he saw a slight movement down in one of the alleys right next to Luke. Luke snapped his head to that direction and studied the dark passageway.

He took a deep breath and mustered up all his strength. He walked in to the alley. He wanted to yell, "Show yourself!" to the lurker, but then he realized he didn't have to.

It was very quiet in the alley. All the hustle and bustle of the Undercity died as Luke entered this dark, mysterious corner. Luke found what he was looking for.

Out of the darkness, a young man emerged.

Luke's eyes widened. "Jared?"

Jared smiled at Luke, his arms open wide as if he was about to hug Luke. "Miss me?"

Luke shook his head slowly. This couldn't be happening, not now. Luke didn't even have a weapon on him.

He started backing away slowly, but then something stopped him. Something—or someone—behind him held him in his place. A strong, gloved hand rested on Luke's left shoulder.

Slowly, Luke turned his head left upwards.

The light coming from the mouth of the alley was too bright, and Luke had to squint to see who it was behind him. But the truth was that he didn't really have to _see_ who was behind him at all. It was a presence that was all too familiar to Luke. It was a man who he had grown up with, who had raised him.

Luke turned around and saw himself facing the man of the hour—the Dark Lord of the Sith himself.


	46. Chapter 46

**Oh my gosh! Thank you all for the kind and awesome reviews! I wasn't going to upload the next chapter so soon, but I figured you guys deserved it :)**

**Just for the record, when I think of this story's "Darth Vader," I picture someone who looks like a combination of Andrew Garfield and Jake Gyllenhaal. Except my Vader has black hair and really pale skin and those "clear" gray eyes that some people have if you know what I mean. **

**You guys can picture him however you want though, of course.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FORTY-SIX<strong>

The Jedi in the presentation room had long since forgotten the feed coming from the Death Star via Matthias Bassa's miniature camera. They were all standing in a circle now, trying to come up with reasons that Lorth Needa was perhaps lying. They couldn't think of any.

"This is ridiculous." Obi-Wan muttered, "We all know Luke is innocent. This 'Captain Needa' is making things up to make it look like he's in on something while Motti and Tagge are not."

"Yes, I agree," Ahsoka Tano said.

Mace Windu shook his head, "If Luke is so innocent, then why did he run off?"

"Because," Obi-Wan said half-heartedly, "we intimidate him."

Windu scoffed, "Luke's a strong boy. He'd be able to stand up for himself. But there was nothing to stand up for. He ran out because Lorth Needa just revealed him in front of all of us."

He looked over at Anakin who had been sitting quietly in his seat, accompanied by his wife. Neither of them knew what to say.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan turned to his friend. "What do you think?"

Anakin didn't look up. He just sat there, too entranced to _even_ think. Luke killed Nathan. Luke killed Nathan… How? Why? How _could_ he?

A part of Anakin said: "Well, Luke didn't even _know_ you or Nathan. This was all the works of Darth Vader."

Another part of him screamed: "Luke knew all along. He wanted to make you miserable!"

Anakin put his head in his hands. He could feel the comforting embrace of his wife, but he knew that she was just as lost as he was.

Padmé didn't want to think that her child was a monster. She could still remember the beautiful summer day when she walked into her kitchen and found her husband standing there with her long lost son. All she could think about was that Luke was her son, her baby. There was no way he was a monster, no matter _what_ he could have gone through during his childhood.

Anakin stood up abruptly, having listened to Padmé's ruminations. He headed straight for the door out of this wretched presentation room.

"Anakin, where are you going?" Obi-Wan cried out after him.

Anakin didn't even look back, "This is all a mistake. I'm going to find my son."

* * *

><p>It was master and apprentice, both facing each other for the first time in months.<p>

They were left alone in the alley, Jared having gone out to stand guard outside on the curb.

Luke was standing erect, with his head leveled and his eyes facing upward towards Vader's dark figure. He was scowling up at him, showing him that he was not afraid.

The look on Vader's face was of contemptuous amusement—he seemed amused, pleased even, to see his young prodigy after so long, yet there was still that underlying condescending look in his eyes that had come to be his signature look.

They stood in front of each other, with their backs each facing a wall of the narrow alleyway. The only light came from the mouth of the alley on the complete other side. To Luke, it felt like a mile away. There was no escaping from this confrontation.

Vader folded his arms across his chest. His black cape slithered down to his front and covered his whole body. His long face was strikingly pale compared to the yellow orbs that gleamed from his eyes. His jet black hair as dark as night. His lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Had fun on Coruscant?"

Luke didn't answer, but continued to glare up at the Sith Lord.

"Well, I'm glad you had your little adventure," He narrowed his eyes, his smile diminishing, "But now it's time to come home."

"I'm not going with you." Luke said in a low voice, speaking for the first time.

Vader didn't raise his eyebrows or show any indication of surprise. He anticipated that his apprentice would be difficult to deal with after so many months of uncontrollable freedom.

"I've already made it easier for you to leave your Jedi friends." Vader said as a side note. "After watching that horrifying conversation on the Death Star, I'm sure no Jedi could ever look at you again."

Luke's eyes widened in horror, "You _knew?_"

Vader's impassive expression quickly turned into a frightening scowl, "_No_. I was rudely surprised by this blatant treachery by you and Senator Bassa as soon as I arrived on Coruscant this afternoon."

Luke saw that Vader became angry—_that_ was never a good thing. However, Vader was always good at keeping his emotions in check. His scowl soon turned back into a pursing of the lips.

"I'll deal with Senator Bassa soon," Vader said to himself. He refocused his attention back on Luke, "I must say, I'm quite impressed with all that you have accomplished in these past few months."

Luke frowned and looked up at Vader with confused eyes.

"You were able to run into the exact people who are supposed to be my enemies—_our_ enemies. You blabbed your mouth and told them all kinds of things about me and the Death Star. You completely went against all of my teachings. And why? All because a stupid Jedi told you he was your father."

At first, Luke felt ashamed for all he had done. How could he have ignored his entire life and go straight to the enemy like he had done? But the last comment made by Vader sparked an unknown rage in Luke. He scrunched up at his former master with threatening eyes.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?!" Luke shouted. He tried to make his voice sound angry, but he only sounded hurt. Vader almost laughed.

"Why?" he repeated. "Because I didn't want you to be _ashamed_. That you were born to a _Jedi_."

Luke heaved, "Still, you never told me! You kept it a secret for my whole life!"

Vader glowered, "You never made it seemed like you cared about your parentage _before!_"

"Well, I didn't know my father was a _Jedi!_"

"What difference does it make?!" Vader shouted back, "Your father is weak. An idiot!" He raised his arm, pointing toward the Jedi Temple miles away. "All of those Jedi are pathetic morons! None of them knew or could ever figure out anything about me or about the Death Star unless someone walked _straight up to them_ and told them everything! They were never able to piece up the evidence of all the mysterious deaths and disappearances and laws that the Socialists came up with!"

Luke lowered his head. Vader was right.

"You know I'm right," Vader said after a moment, calming down. "Tell me, Luke, were you ever able to convince yourself that you had escaped to the right side?"

Luke didn't look up or answer.

"You were lucky, Luke." Vader said quietly. "You were born to the stupid Jedi, yet you grew up to be strong. You grew up to the Empire. You grew up to _win_."

Luke still did not answer.

"Tell me, Luke." Vader began, pacing around. "What have the Jedi been doing for you?"

Luke frowned.

"I mean," Vader rephrased, "how have they been treating you? How have they been training you?"

Luke opened his mouth, but no words came out. He would be able to answer to Vader that Anakin was treating Luke just fine—a lot better than Vader ever did. But how had they been training him?

"Why should they be training me?" Luke asked dully.

Vader raised his eyebrows, amused. "Well, I just figured they would! Skywalker is a talented Jedi, some would say. I was so sure that he'd be eager to teach you some tricks or _something_."

Luke looked down and frowned. Had Anakin ever taught him any cool Jedi moves?

"Surely he knew that you were a capable, skilled swordsman." Vader's smile widened, enjoying his torment of the young boy. "He didn't teach you anything at all?"

Of course, Vader already knew the answer to his questions. He was trying to evoke a feeling in Luke that would make him agree with his true master.

Luke realized this and the balled his fists. Looking up at Vader and scowling, he said: "Why would he, why _should_ he? The Jedi knew I was a Sith apprentice. They couldn't teach me more things, just in case I was still a Sith."

Vader raised an eyebrow, "But surely they figured you were on their side by now." He narrowed his eyes down at Luke, "I mean, you practically told them _everything_."

Luke didn't like how Vader had an answer to everything. It almost felt like Vader was right… Why should Luke question a man that was always right about everything?

There was a trace of a smile on Vader's lips after hearing Luke's thoughts. He decided to weigh more into this. "The Jedi are quite selfish, don't you think? They ask so much of you, yet they gave nothing in return."

Luke frowned. How?

"It's almost like they were using you. Using you for your secrets. They didn't _care_ about you. They could never care about you like _I_ do. They don't know you. They never bothered to protect you. If they seriously thought that I was a threat to you, they would have at least equipped you with your own sort of weapon."

Luke frowned, angry at the Jedi. They _were_ only using him! They never bothered to give him a replacement lightsaber just in case Luke ever ran into Jared or Aria again!

"You know I'm right, Luke."

Luke let out a deep sigh.

Vader just smiled, "There, you finally see the error of your ways. Good."

Luke frowned. Did this mean Vader…_forgave_ him?

Vader made a wry chuckle, "Yes, I forgive you. Because that is what a good master does. A good master forgives his apprentice. Especially when his apprentice is still so young and still learning."

Luke slowly looked back up at Vader. Vader was acting kind. But why?

The look on Vader's face almost looked…sympathetic. "You're a very unique person that not many would be able to understand. They Jedi don't understand you, Luke. _I_ understand you. They would never be able to fully accept you, no matter how hard they tried. You're not one of them."

That was true. Nobody understood Luke like Vader did. Here Vader was right now, understanding him more than anybody. Everything he said made sense…

"Maybe you noticed all the other Jedi apprentices during your _adventure_ on the other side." Vader said, amused. "Maybe you noticed how they don't even begin practicing with real lightsabers until your age. And look at _you_," Vader said proudly, "You made your first lightsaber when you were only eight or nine years old."

At the mention of lightsabers, Vader pulled back his cape and reached for one of the two lightsabers latched to his belt. He unclipped the smaller of the two.

Luke's eyes widened. It was his lightsaber! The last time he had seen it, Aria had snaked it away from right under him.

Vader held Luke's lightsaber in front of him, but he kept his gaze on Luke. "Take it."

Luke hesitantly reached for the weapon.

"Take it, and appreciate everything I have done for you. Appreciate the freedom I have allowed you to explore the other side. The Jedi do not have the freedom to do what they wish. They have neither the intelligence nor ability to actually maintain order in the galaxy. That is why the Force has sent us, Luke. They have sent us to fix the wrongs of the Jedi. You must be glad that you have not grown up with the incapability of the Jedi. You must be grateful that you have me. For you would be _nothing_ without me. I _made_ you who you are today."

Luke took hold of the lightsaber from Vader and stared at it intently. He opened his mouth to say something, but a strange feeling stopped him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a silhouette of man appear, standing at the entrance of the alley.

He snapped his head to face the shadowy man and realized that his own position was culpable. Here Luke was, standing in the middle on an alley, holding a lightsaber, in front of a notorious Dark Lord.

Darth Vader noticed the intruder too and squared his shoulders back. He almost smiled, for this was a confrontation that he had been waiting for for years.

Anakin Skywalker walked out of the bright light and into the dark alley, revealing himself to all.

He stood several feet away from Luke and Vader, on the complete other end of the dark passage. Luke wished that if Anakin came to kill Vader, that he would kill Luke too. Moments ago, he felt ashamed that he had run away from Vader in the first place. Now he was ashamed that Anakin had found him in this compromising position.

Luke couldn't make up his mind. A part of him knew Vader would win at the end, but a part of him still wanted Anakin to believe him…to trust him.

All chances of that ever happening again were completely lost.


	47. Chapter 47

**First of all: thank you ALL for the WONDERFUL reviews! I know I promised a speedy update, but unfortunately life got in the way. I'm not even on my own computer right now. I won't bore you with the lame details of my life, but just know that I have gone through great lengths to get this chapter here for you today. You're welcome.**

**If you get to the end of the chapter and begin to freak out, all I can tell you now is to just chill. Just chill. The next chapter will explain everything. (So spoiler alert: this chapter has a major cliffy).**

**Thank you and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN<strong>

Anakin had little trouble finding where Luke was. All he had to do was follow the overwhelming dark presence that had suddenly amplified on Coruscant. Anakin knew that what he was about to face was something completely new and dangerous.

He knew he was close when he saw a familiar face. Jared Lamar, Darth Vader's "idiot" son, was idly waiting outside of an alley down in the Undercity of Coruscant. Anakin had no trouble knocking him out. The poor boy didn't even see it coming. Anakin now understood why everyone called him an idiot.

He stood at the entrance of a dark, desolate alleyway. He had heard small voices coming from it a moment ago. His shadow cast into the alley as he walked in until he could make out two other figures on the other side of the alley.

The shorter of the two was a familiar face… or was he?

Luke couldn't look more different to Anakin than he did right at that moment. He was standing there, his body facing the man in front of him but his head turned to the side to look at Anakin.

Just as Luke seemed so much like a stranger at that moment, so did the man right next to him.

For some reason, Anakin thought that Darth Vader was going to be some big, non-human monster with claws and sharp teeth. It seemed so surreal to find Vader as a regular person. He had the same height and build as Anakin, but he was nothing like any Jedi Master. He took a step closer. Anakin eyed the lightsaber latched onto Vader's belt, but Vader covered it with his cape and made no move for it.

All of the words Anakin had been rehearsing to say once he met the Dark Lord for the first time escaped him. He was speechless.

Vader unexpectedly gave him a very sinister smile.

"Well, if it isn't the Hero With No Fear!"

Anakin could feel all the pent-up rage bubbling inside of him once Vader spoke.

Vader noticed this, and his smile grew even wider. "Aren't you as excited to see me as I am to see you?"

Anakin knew that if he said anything, he would lash out. He had so stay subdued. He needed to keep the calm demeanor of a Jedi Master. He was better than Vader…

"I mean," Vader continued, his smile diminishing slightly, "it has been almost twenty years since we saw each other last…"

Anakin, who had been reaching for his lightsaber, stopped in his tracks. He frowned and looked up at Vader. Twenty years?

Vader made a low chuckle and looked down to the ground, "Perhaps you just have not made the connection yet."

Anakin stared at Vader, at a complete loss for words. He saw Luke from the corner of his eyes; he was just as confused as Anakin. The Jedi Master looked back up at the Sith Lord. Twenty years? Since what? Anakin was quite sure that he had never known a "Darth Vader" before. He never even knew a "Malek Vader." The only "Malek" he ever knew was a Padawan that he used to be friends with when he was younger, almost twenty years ago—

Anakin's eyes slowly widened as the revelation gradually came to him.

"Malek Camaera?" Anakin whispered.

Vader's smile faltered, "I don't go by that name anymore."

"It's _you?_" Anakin whispered, completely bewildered.

"Are you really all that surprised?"

"You," Anakin shook his head, "you were supposed to be my friend!"

Vader shook his head slowly, scowling. "I was never your friend."

"We were best friends!" Anakin said louder, "How _could_ you?"

"I realized that being a Jedi was not for me."

Anakin shook his head, chuckling bitterly. "You liar! It's all coming back to me. I know why you left…"

Vader raised his eyebrow, "Oh yeah? You know all about how Chancellor Palpatine confided in me _all_ the _secrets_ of the Force?"

Anakin shook his head, "That's not why you left. Palpatine only saw interest in you because he was attracted to your stark jealousy of me."

"Jealousy!" Vader repeated, amused.

Anakin nodded, "You were the best out of all of us. And then when I came along, I took that title away from you."

"Don't lie!" Vader snapped, "We were both the same! But the Masters paid more attention to you because you were new and you were able to pick it up more quickly than the other Padawans."

"And then even the Chancellor started to pay closer attention to me," Anakin continued. "You were _so_ jealous."

"I was _not_ jealous!" Vader shot back.

"You were!" Anakin raised his voice. "It all makes sense now! No wonder you left, you wanted to be more like me! So you stalked Palpatine down and _begged_ him to teach you!"

If the Sith Lord was not so worked up, he would have laughed at that accusation. "You arrogant, pompous fool."

"Haven't you had enough?" Anakin asked, "Wouldn't you just like to whip out your lightsaber and kill me now?"

Vader calmed down, "No. I haven't finished my perfunctory villainous monologue."

Luke, who had been standing behind the two rivals to the side of this dark alleyway, tried to stifle his laughter with a fit of coughs.

The Jedi Master and the Sith Lord turned to look at Luke, whom they had been completely ignoring for the past several minutes. This confrontation, essentially, was all about Luke. Everything was always about Luke.

Anakin and Vader looked back at each other, the atmosphere completely changed. Anakin remembered everything he needed to say now.

"You're going to pay for everything you've done."

Vader chuckled. The two began to slowly circle each other.

"Honestly, I don't think I've done anything wrong."

Anakin's eyes popped, "How can you even _say_ that?"

"Come now, Anakin." Vader pouted, "There were _some_ good things I have done for you."

Anakin, his lips curled and his eyes narrowed to slits, just stared at Vader.

"I mean," Vader began, "if it wasn't for me, you would never have seen your mother again!"

Anakin's eyes gradually widened as he realized what Vader meant. "You—You? You!"

Vader chortled deeply.

"_What?_" Anakin put a hand up to his forehead, "How?"

"Those Tusken Raiders," Vader chuckled, shaking his head. "They'll do anything with a little bit of persuasion."

Anakin despised him. He despised him with all of his might. One could even come close to say that Anakin hated Darth Vader.

Yes, Anakin hated Darth Vader. This is why love was forbidden to the Jedi, because it led to hate…

Vader shrugged, "And, I've done more good to your son than you ever could have."

At the mention of Luke, Anakin lost it. He took out his lightsaber. Just before igniting it, he took a look at Vader. He just laughed at Anakin.

"Some Jedi you are. Haven't you learned anything from our lessons? A Jedi never pulls out his weapon unless for defense."

"Who are you to tell me how a Jedi should act?" Anakin shouted, so angry that the lightsaber shook in his hands.

"You're right," Vader conceded. "The Jedi function in a manner so medieval, I would never understand how your minds work."

How was Vader able to reply back to Anakin so calmly, whereas Anakin was shaking with anger? This wasn't how it was supposed to play out. Anakin was supposed to be the calm, dignified Jedi Master. Vader was supposed to be the impatient and unrefined Sith Lord, lashing out in fury every five seconds. Usually, the Sith Lords that Anakin used to approach would purposely say things to set him off. This time, Vader was just coolly contesting everything Anakin said with only a few minor outbursts.

So, Anakin was done with the protocols. He didn't care if a Jedi was not supposed to ignite his lightsaber first; this man did not deserve to live for another second. He stripped off his robe and dropped it on the floor behind him.

"Say what you need to say," Anakin started, "and then let's get on with this."

Vader smiled, "Always the impatient one, aren't you, Skywalker?" He unclasped his cape at the top and it fell behind him to the ground. Pulling out his lightsaber, he said, "No matter, whatever you say. We're on _your_ turf now."

"Why _are_ you here?" Anakin asked quickly, annoyed.

Vader raised his brows, surprised that Anakin asked this question. "I thought it was obvious. I've come to retrieve my apprentice from an extended field trip."

"Your apprentice?" Anakin almost laughed, "And what made you think that coming to Coruscant wouldn't involve a confrontation with _me?_"

Vader shrugged, "I never said that, but why should it stop me from coming? Do you think I'm intimidated by you or something?"

"You should be!"

Vader shook his head, "Arrogance gets you nowhere, Skywalker. Besides, you haven't seen how I duel yet. I'm pretty good. And it's a good _thing_ that I'm pretty good, too. I've been a valuable teacher to your son."

"How dare you even—"

"However," Vader said angrily, "you wouldn't know that. You've never bothered to watch him or ask him to show you what he knew."

Anakin exploded, "I don't need you to tell me that he's good! I _know_ he's good! Any son of _mine_ would be brilliant!"

"_No!_" Vader roared, "You conceited swine! This isn't about you! He's not _brilliant_ because of you! You had nothing to do with him! I was the one who trained him! I raised him and I taught him everything I knew—"

"WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO DO THAT?!"

"I SPENT HOURS TEACHING HIM EVERYDAY FOR TEN YEARS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? YOU HAVE HIM STUCK IN A _STUPID SCHOOL!_"

The two were now literally screaming in each other's faces, standing only a foot or two away from each other.

"Don't think you can justify what you have done!" Anakin roared, "You have no right! You ruined my family—"

"Oh, you think you're special or something?" Vader scoffed, "I've ruined dozens of families! I don't wake up each morning to think about how I can make Anakin Skywalker's life a little more pathetic than it already is!"

"Oh, so you deny killing my apprentice?" Anakin accused.

Vader threw his head back and cackled, "I didn't touch a hair on your little apprentice's precious head. You have been living with the murderer of your Padawan for the past six months!"

Anakin shook his head, "You took advantage of a confused child!"

Vader raised an eyebrow and looked over at Luke, "Luke, how do you feel about being called a _confused child?_"

Luke, who had been standing silently on the sidelines, did not like being brought into this quarrel. He glared at Vader, but did not answer.

Vader looked back at Anakin and gave a curt smile, "He doesn't like it."

Anakin frowned, "He didn't even say anything."

Vader smiled, "Oh, have you yet to decode Luke's special stare that he gives you when he deems there are no words stronge enough to convey his message?"

Anakin raised his brows, feeling trapped. He always mistook Luke's silence for annoyance or anger at Anakin for striking a personal topic or something.

Vader shook his head, "You don't know anything about this kid, and you never will! Accept the fact that he can never be a Jedi. Accept the fact that he can never be like you!"

"_You_ should accept the fact that he can never be truly yours!" Anakin shot back, "Don't you ever feel strange when you look at him and realize that he is not of your flesh and blood, but rather the flesh and blood of your enemy? Doesn't that ever bother you?"

Vader shrugged, "I simply look at it as a feat. That I have prevented another Anakin Skywalker from setting foot in this galaxy!"

Anakin laughed.

Vader scowled, "What? You think me kidnapping your son is funny?"

Anakin stopped laughing, "No, just you. You're so jealous, it's hilarious."

Vader balled his fists.

"You spent your entire childhood trying to imitate me, to live up to me. You ran away in order to find a way to defeat me. By the time that I totally forget who you even were, you were still going out to make sure my life was miserable by killing my mother and tearing apart my family."

Anakin definitely hit a nerve, because by that point Vader was practically heaving with hatred.

"You were jealous, Malek Camaera, and you always will be. You'll never be able to rest until I die. And when I die, you will still be thinking about me. You'll be marveling at how a man like me could ever die. Because, at this point, you practically see me as an enigma."

Anakin did it. He maintained his Jedi Master composure. He was finally able to break Darth Vader. For, as soon as those words left Anakin's mouth, Vader sprang at him with his bloody red lightsaber ignited.

Luke took several steps back away from the clashing of the sabers. The dark alleyway was illuminated with a strong red and blue glow. The sound of the two swords hitting each other was like music to Luke's ears.

Vader and Anakin were both the best of the best. They found each other's match in this duel. And neither one of them had had a proper duel in so long… This encounter was almost exciting.

For Anakin, to let out the pent up sorrow and anger of the past ten and a half years was only half of the battle—literally. Anakin was fighting for his family—he was fighting for his son, his mother, his wife, his daughter, his late apprentice, his master, and the Jedi Order. He focused on the good in his life, and he fought for them all. While swinging his lightsaber back and forth against Vader's, if a thought ever entered his mind that was negative or hateful, he would take good look at the less-than-human man in front of him: _look at what the Dark Side can do to you, _Anakin thought to himself_, it makes you a monster._

Vader fought on a completely different track. He wielded his lightsaber against Anakin's, completely aware that this may be the last time he would ever have to deal with that insufferable Jedi. After this fight, Vader could take his apprentice and leave. Luke would definitely have no reason to stay if Anakin was killed. He could go back to his Death Star. He could go back to his plan to rule the galaxy. To Vader, the only person that stood in his way—that has _ever_ stood in his way—was Anakin Skywalker. That only made Vader's yellow eyes glow with contempt.

The two duelers were pushing each other to different ends of the alleyway. They were huffing and puffing and swinging their lightsabers around so quickly, a bystander would wonder if they were actually fighting or if they were just twirling batons.

There was a pause in the combat. Anakin and Vader had their lightsabers pointing at each other, but they were both still.

Panting, Vader asked, "Tired yet?"

"You wish," Anakin replied, catching his breath.

They went at it again. If Vader swung his lightsaber towards Anakin's head, Anakin blocked it with his own weapon. If Anakin swung his lightsaber towards Vader's legs, Vader jumped to avoid being de-limbed.

"Take—a good—look—at how—I'm fighting," Vader said in-between breaths. "You're son is just the same, if not better."

For a split-moment, Anakin acted on his anger and violently swung his lightsaber at Vader's head. He missed by less than an inch.

Vader laughed and then doubled his momentum. Anakin had to regain his composure; he would not let Darth Vader incense him.

"Does—that—bother you?" Vader asked, still fighting.

Anakin ignored him and focused on the Force, guiding him through this duel…

"If you live through this," Vader said through gritted teeth as he clashed his lightsaber against Anakin's, "you will never be able to forget me. You'll always look at your son, and, although he looks like you, he is more like _me_ on the inside."

Anakin was caught off guard; he never thought of Luke that way. Now that he really thought about it, Luke was nothing like Anakin. He was quiet and reserved and he had strange manners and behaviors. Although Obi-Wan used to always come up to Anakin and inform him of how much Luke resembled Anakin, Anakin himself never really saw it. Of course, Anakin had never really been on the lookout for similarities between himself and his son, but now that he thought about it… There weren't any.

This moment of hesitance was all Vader needed. Anakin, too entrapped by his own thoughts, neglected what the Force was telling him. Anakin lifted his lightsaber to strike against Vader's weapon that was coming towards his face—however, Vader's weapon was _not_ headed towards Anakin's face.

It all happened so fast. Vader struck at Anakin's abdominal area, and his lightsaber plunged through his enemy's gut.

The shock that someone had stabbed him in the first place hurt Anakin more than the actual injury did. He fell to his knees, his lightsaber falling out of his grasp. His arms landed on the ground for support, but it was too much. Anakin fell over onto his back, his prosthetic hand clutching onto his wound. He couldn't feel his other arm, nor could he feel any other part of his body.

Anakin lost all sense of time.

He could hear. He could hear what was going on around him. He could hear shouting and people running. Anakin felt like he could hear more than two people around him. He heard his master—Obi-Wan. What was he doing here? Where was Vader? All of a sudden, he heard Padmé.

"Anakin? Anakin!"

He tried opening his heavy eyelids. He saw a commotion of people around him. He could hear Padmé, but where was she? He felt her touch before he saw her face. Her form was fuzzy. Was that really her? Her lips were moving frantically, but Anakin couldn't hear a thing.

He yearned that someone—anyone—could just tell him what he wanted to hear. Someone, tell him that Darth Vader was killed—that Luke was safe.

There was no way of knowing. For all he knew, Coruscant could be blazing with fire as Anakin Skywalker's world faded to black.


	48. Chapter 48

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

_*A little earlier*_

It was pathetic.

Luke was still trying to figure out who he wanted to win. Who did he want to win?

He watched Anakin and Vader dueling, and it was like nothing Luke had ever seen before in his life. If Luke had to describe it, he'd say it was graceful. The two were strong, and their fighting forms reflected that. Yet they were also graceful. They knew how to use a lightsaber, and they knew how to use the Force. The Force told each of them what to do. For as long as Vader trained Luke, he had always told his young apprentice to fully trust the Force. For every time Luke picked up a lightsaber, he was always hesitant. Watching these two masters of combat made Luke realize that the Force was strong, but it could only be as strong as Luke allowed it to be. If Luke ever needed a final touch to all of his teachings, than this was it: watching an actual fight. And this wasn't just any fight; this was a fight between two of the most skilled swordsmen in the galaxy.

Yes, Luke was very much fascinated.

But watching this fight was only a distraction to the real issue at hand: who did Luke want to win? Anakin Skywalker—his father, a Jedi Master—or Darth Vader—his mentor, a Sith Lord?

Why was this such a hard decision? Shouldn't Luke side with his father?

Yes, but who was his father? The man that created him, or the man that raised him?

Well, Luke ran away from the man that raised him. He ran away from him and straight into the very man that created him. Coincidence? A will of the Force?

If Luke was the same person that he was six months ago, he would have readily—and even perhaps gladly—went back with Vader. He would have realized that Vader had the greatest chance of winning—not just this battle, but the whole entire war. The war between the Sith and the Jedi. The war between the Empire and the Republic. Luke would have acted on his own instinct; he would have done what benefited himself the most.

However, Luke was no longer the same person that he was six months ago. He was different. He changed. Did he change for the better? That remains a mystery. All he knew now was that he changed. He was exposed to what being a family was really like. He realized that his old family—Vader, Jared, and Aria—was not a real family after all. A real family did not plot the downfall of each other—a real family helped each other, and was always there to comfort each other.

Sure, Luke still believed everything Vader said. Luke knew that he had a great power. He knew that he was destined for something greater than sitting in school every day for seven hours. If Luke went with Vader, he would go back to his lifestyle. His crazy, unpredictable lifestyle.

Part of him missed the thrill. Part of him missed the killing. If he went with Anakin, he would miss out on all of that. He would go back to school with the other "normal" people. People who weren't born lucky, like _him_.

Luke knew he was special, Vader told him that every day. But with Anakin…

Anakin himself was one of the most famous human beings in the entire galaxy. Luke would have thought that spending time with Anakin could lead to different—yet also very exciting—action and adventures. Anakin Skywalker was known for that kind of stuff.

But, no. Luke was forbidden from training. Why? Because he was a Sith.

There, that solves it, right? If Luke was already labeled as a Sith by everyone here, he might as well just go back to being a Sith. Anakin would understand. Sure, Anakin was his real father and stuff, but what did that matter? Luke had spent his whole life without a real family, he could do it again. Living with his biological family meant nothing to him. It's not like he had them before. Right? _Right?_

Now Luke really _did_ feel like a confused child. Anakin was right, and when Vader asked Luke if he liked being called a "confused child," he originally wanted to say no.

If Luke left his new family, he wanted to feel like he would not miss them. But part of him felt that he would… The reason that Luke was able to go his entire childhood without real parents was because he didn't think they existed. Now that Luke knew he had a real family—and not just _any_ family, but a Jedi and senator for parents—he couldn't go back to Corellia without feeling like a part of him was missing.

It was true, Luke was not the same person that he was six months ago.

Watching Anakin and Vader fight felt so surreal. Here was Darth Vader, the man who raised him and taught Luke everything he knew, was actually dueling against Anakin Skywalker, the man who was supposed to be his arch nemesis, the man who was also supposed to be Luke's real father.

But when it came to this fight, Luke could tell that Anakin was the more respectable of the two. He played by the rules, while Vader only fought to try to get his lightsaber through his opponent's neck.

They were saying some words to each other, but Luke didn't hear any of it. He was too far away and the humming and clashing of the lightsabers drowned out anything else.

Then, it happened.

Luke was watching the duel, standing quite far from it. The action was all happening deep in this long alley, and Luke was several meters away.

Vader must have said something, because Anakin was distracted for about a split-second. But a split-second was all Vader needed.

The Dark Lord took his lightsaber and thrust it straight into Anakin's stomach.

It felt like time slowed down, and Luke was watching this play out in slow-motion. He saw Anakin fall to the ground. Vader lifted up his lightsaber above his head, readying for an ultimate finish. As he was dropping his lightsaber to deliver the final blow, his arms collided with Luke's own ignited red lightsaber.

Luke, out of nowhere, was right next to Vader, his lightsaber extended out in-between Anakin and the Sith Lord.

Vader wasn't quick enough. He was not able to remove his arms until the lightsaber had cut halfway up to the bone, and Vader's lightsaber flew out of his hands.

Rage had replaced Vader's previous euphoria at killing Anakin Skywalker.

Luke retracted his lightsaber and, noticing Vader's fury, took a step back. It wasn't enough, though.

Vader reached out, but his forearms were gruesomely hanging onto his elbow by little strands of skin. He took a moment to study the damage on his body, and then reached out in the Force to push Luke.

Luke flew back, and his back collided with the hard wall. The push was so powerful that his body probably left a dent in the wall. He dropped to the ground on his knees. He fell on his arms as support, and he looked up to Vader.

Vader was about to summon his lightsaber, which was, to Luke's luck, lying on the ground right next to him. Before Vader could make his move for it, however, he was distracted by a yell coming from behind him.

Jared had dashed into the alley, "The Jedi are coming! We have to go _now!_"

Luke used this moment of hesitance to grab Darth Vader's lightsaber.

Vader glared at Luke, his eyes filled with horror. There was nothing left he could do. He couldn't finish off Anakin, and he couldn't even get his lightsaber.

He had to run off behind Jared before any other Jedi found him while in this vulnerable state.

Luke struggled to get up from the ground. Once he did, he tried running after Jared and Vader, but they were long gone. Instead, a group of Jedi ran into the alley.

It was Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Mace Windu, Master Yoda, and Ki-Adi Mundi along with Luke's mother, Padmé.

What they saw must have been astounding—in the bad way. There was Luke, standing in the middle of the alley holding two lightsabers. Meanwhile, Anakin was lying unconscious on the ground, his hand covering some sort of wound.

Padmé yelled out first, "Anakin? Anakin!"

"Good thing we brought that medical capsule," Obi-Wan shouted, "bring it in!"

Obi-Wan and Mundi lifted Anakin up with the help of the Force, and they laid him on the capsule.

"Padmé and I will take care of Anakin," Obi-Wan yelled, "You go with the others to find Vader!"

Luke watched the commotion around him. It was actually frightening.

Once Obi-Wan left with Padmé and Anakin, Master Mundi exited from the alley and waved his hand. Luke squinted his eyes, what was he waving to?

All of a sudden, Luke heard several police speeders zoom by. Mundi was waving to a unit of clones.

Clones! They were going to pursue Vader with help from the army!

Masters Mundi and Tano left to chase Vader, and Luke was left in the alley with a very angry Mace Windu and a very defeated-looking Master Yoda.

Windu aggressively came up to Luke and put his hands on the young boy's shoulders. "Did you stab Anakin?"

"What, no!"

"Did you help Darth Vader stab Anakin?"

"_No!_"

"Did you tell Vader to come here to—"

"I didn't even know he was going to be here! I _swear_—"

"You're a liar." Windu said, taking his hands off Luke.

Luke's eyebrows were raised, and he actually felt scared of Windu. He looked over at Yoda, almost pleadingly. Yoda was solemnly quiet.

"Whose lightsabers are those?" Windu asked, pointing at the weapons in Luke's hands.

Luke bit his lip.

Windu nodded, as if he was right all along about Luke. "You're coming back to the Temple with us."

Luke frowned, "I swear, I didn't do anything to hurt—"

Mace abruptly turned back to Luke and held out his hand. Luke stared at his open palm for a moment and then realized that Windu was requesting the lightsabers. With a sigh, Luke surrendered the weapons.

He was in big trouble. And worst yet, there was nobody to defend him.

* * *

><p>It was after midnight, yet no one was asleep at the Jedi Temple. News had spread like wildfire that Anakin Skywalker was stabbed—and by a Sith Lord, too! No, no one could sleep.<p>

Luke actually wanted to kill himself. Here he was, basically prisoner of the Jedi. He was in a room with Mace Windu—as he had been for the past hour. If Anakin died, Luke might as well go back to the Coruscant prison to serve out a life sentence. There was nothing left for him anymore.

At first, Windu was too busy to notice Luke. He was on the comm with several people—Jedi stationed all around the galaxy. Every Jedi was being warned about Darth Vader, and they were all being ordered to keep an eye out for him.

Luke wondered if this night would ever end. And just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.

Windu faced him, "Did you kill Jedi Master Shaak Ti?"

"No," Luke said dully.

"Did _Vader_ kill Master Shaak Ti?"

"Yes."

"Did you kill Chancellor Lemán?" Windu asked, more forceful.

"No."

"Did Vader kill—"

"Yes," Luke interrupted, obviously annoyed with this interrogation.

Windu glared at Luke for a moment. "Did Vader kill Skywalker's apprentice?"

Luke looked down, "No."

"Did _you_ kill him?"

"Yes."

Windu let out a deep sigh. He looked away from Luke.

Luke suddenly felt a great surge of anger. Why was Windu so mean?!

Obi-Wan entered the room, looking grim. Windu turned to him, "How is he?"

Obi-Wan nodded, "Better, but…"

He looked down, not needing to say anymore because everyone already understood what he meant.

Windu stood up, "Well, hopefully he will not die. We need someone we can trust to convey to us the real events of what happened tonight."

Luke balled his fists.

Obi-Wan gave Luke an uneasy look and then turned to Windu, "Er, perhaps I should take Luke from here, Master Windu. There is not much you can do with him right now."

* * *

><p>Luke was walking alongside Obi-Wan down the unusually very crowded corridor. It was late at night yet the Jedi Temple was still awake.<p>

Obi-Wan led Luke to the med bay where his father was.

Luke didn't go in the room. The two of them stood outside, only looking in through the window.

Anakin was laying on a bed; there were several medical-looking machines hooked up to him, and there was an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. He was still breathing; Luke could see his chest slowly move upward and then down. So he was alive…for now.

There was a Mirialan woman standing above Anakin's unconscious body. Her hands stretched over his abdominal wound. Her eyes were closed. Luke could sense the tremendous Force energy in that room.

His eyes widened. Luke knew who that woman was! She was Barriss Offee, a famous Jedi healer. And she was healing Anakin!

Luke felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. Obi-Wan was smiling, looking through the window. "You must not worry about him, Luke."

Luke frowned at Obi-Wan's kind demeanor. Wasn't he angry at Luke, just like all the others?

He continued, "Anakin will pull through. He's faced life-threatening situations like this before. However, I'll admit that they were never as serious as this."

Luke looked back to watch through the window again. He also saw Padmé in there, sitting next to Anakin and holding his hand. She wasn't crying, but she looked very tired. Tired of all of this.

Luke felt Obi-Wan take his hand off his shoulder and walk away, leaving Luke alone in the med bay with several other people whom Luke didn't know.

He went over to sit on a nearby bench. What was going to happen to him now? Luke had never before felt so alone in the world. Even when he escaped from Corellia, he at least had Han with him.

Here Luke was, all alone in a world that so quickly judged him as a Sith and a murderer. No one ever accepted Luke as much as Anakin did. The only other person who actually liked Luke—and still liked Luke, thankfully—was Obi-Wan. But even Obi-Wan couldn't defend him from Mace Windu and all the other disparaging Jedi.

Did Padmé still even like him? Probably not. Luke saw how Padmé was always concerned over her husband—especially now. Luke doubted that Padmé could ever love him as she loved Anakin and Leia. He always caused problems for her family, and not to mention that Luke was formerly a part of an extreme organization that has planned to do away with all of the democratic ideals that Padmé held to so closely.

If only Luke had never told anyone about the Death Star. He would have been able to escape the revelation that Luke killed Anakin's apprentice. And had he not told anyone about Vader's secret weapon, then maybe his old Sith master would still accept him.

Now he would never be received by the Empire, and the Republic wanted nothing to do with him.

All of a sudden, he was approached by someone.

Leia sat down next to him, looking very concerned.

"Luke?" She said softly.

He didn't answer her.

"If it makes you feel any better," Leia said, "I don't think you're a killer."

Luke rolled his eyes. Leia's opinion actually meant nothing to him. He would have told her this, but he realized that he already had too many enemies.

He turned to face her, "You're wrong. I _am_ a killer. And I've killed a lot more important people than your father's stupid Padawan."

Leia's eyebrows rose, stunned at Luke's answer. She opened her mouth to say something, but Luke already got up and left.

* * *

><p><strong>I would like to thank you all for your patience and your wonderful reviews.<strong> **I literally forced myself to sit down and write this chapter this weekend because I hate leaving you with such a big cliffhanger for so long. I'm sorry to disappoint you all with such a meaningless chapter, but at least you now know which side Luke chose! For those of you who simply loved Dark Luke: don't fret! We have not seen the end of him! Luke might have chosen the good side for now, but that does not mean that he is going to so easily give up all his Sith ideals that he grew up with. It's going to be a lot more complicated than that. Some of you may already know that, for I gave out a few spoilers to those reviewers who asked the right questions last chapter. I'm not saying that I'm gonna tell you what's gonna happen next if you review, I'm just trying to find a cool way to ask you guys to review. **

**:)**


	49. Chapter 49

**Quicky update! You're welcome... **

**Part of the reason I was able to update today is because school was cancelled (giving me time to write this chapter). For those of you in the US, you know that Hurricane Sandy (or now they're calling it "Superstorm Sandy") has really torn the East coast apart. I don't live on the seaboard, so I wasn't affected as much. For those of you who do, though, I hope you are all safe! **

**I also wanted to update today because I wanted to share this terrible news with you: George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney for 4 billion dollars.**

**I repeat, George Lucas sold Lucasfilm (and all of its belongings) to Disney for 4 billion dollars. Are you kidding me.**

**Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney! Why?!**

**I think the worst part of all this is that they are coming out with a new Star Wars movie. YUP I KNOW! Episode 7 is coming out in 2015. **

**Disney is going to ****_kill_**** Star Wars. They're going to take Darth Maul's lightsaber and strike a hole straight through the heart of Star Wars. They're going to pick this movie up and throw it down the bottomless pit of the second Death Star. **

**I'm exaggerating, of course, but you never know! What if this new movie is totally terrible?! I'm so distraught...**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FORTY-NINE<strong>

It was almost dawn, and by now most of the Jedi have fallen asleep. Luke, accustomed to staying up long nights, sat in the same position in the hallway of the Jedi Temple med center as he was all night. He was just outside Anakin's door. Waiting. Even Padmé had not come out yet.

Luke knew that the worst had yet to come. For now, he was being held prisoner at the Temple. He realized this halfway through the night, as he kept noticing different Council members inconspicuously walk past him every hour or so, all in attempts to keep an eye on him.

There was no trust.

Luke didn't blame them. Luke didn't trust himself.

After a while, he saw Master Offee come out of Anakin's room. He heard her talking to Padmé.

Padmé was a mess. She was listening distantly to the Jedi Master, her eyes looking very tired.

"It will take a long time, but I think Master Skywalker will be alright." The Mirialan healer said.

Padmé put a hand up to her face, exhausted, "Will you come back?"

Master Offee nodded, "Master Skywalker is very strong in the Force. I, helping him, am only speeding up the process. He is completely able to mend himself."

Padmé gave a weary smile, "Thank you, Master Offee."

The Jedi nodded and walked away.

Luke quickly looked away to avoid any awkwardness.

Padmé came over and sat right next to him. Truthfully, she _was_ trying to avoid Luke—but not for the reasons that he thought.

Padmé could never blame Luke for what happened last night. Last night's incident only served to fuel her anger towards Darth Vader, a man whom she once thought to be her friend. Anakin's close death had Padmé scared out of her wits. And the fact that he almost died at the hands of the very man who kidnapped Luke made everything so much worse. Padmé had been trying hard for the past several months to forget about all the pain she has had to face over the years. Seeing Anakin stabbed, struggling to hang on to his life, was a wakeup call.

Padmé also realized how little she actually knew about her son. It was hard for Padmé to accept the fact that Anakin—her husband—has ever really killed someone. He was a Jedi, and part of his work often included taking the lives of people who were evil or conspired to take over the Republic. She knew that he never liked to kill anyone, avoiding it as much as possible, and she respected him for that. But when it came to Luke… There was no way she could accept that her thirteen year-old son has ever murdered _anyone_.

Luke looked up at her. She opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't find any words. Luke just looked away, bored.

* * *

><p>Padmé was away, talking to a few Jedi. Luke was still sitting in the same spot that he had been in all morning. Leia had come by again to grace him with her presence. They didn't say much to another, for the commotion of all the medics and Jedi healers around was enough to occupy any awkward silences.<p>

The twins were approached by two older girls.

Luke looked up, surprised that people actually came to talk to him—or Leia, perhaps. Either way, they came to talk.

The first girl to speak was a twi'lek. Her skin was as blue as Luke's eyes. Luke realized she was a Padawan by the short chain of beads hanging on to one of her lekkus. The other girl was a Padawan, too; she was a human with dark brown hair and cool hazel eyes. Her Padawan braid stuck out in front of her long, straight hair that was braided to the side.

The twi'lek spoke first, "Are you Luke Skywalker?"

Luke nodded, sitting up.

"We were told that Master Kenobi was with you."

Luke turned his head to look behind him, and then turned back to face the girls. "I haven't seen him for a few hours."

"He might be with our mom." Leia added.

The twi'lek pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest, "Might be."

"Why don't you go check, Lola?" The human girl said. "I'll stick around here in case he comes back."

The twi'lek—Lola—nodded her head and walked out, leaving the twins with this human Padawan that neither of them knew.

"Hey, Rex." Leia smiled.

Scratch that. Leia knew her, apparently.

The girl—Rex?—smiled a white toothy grin and then sat on the bench adjacent to Luke's.

Rex looked over Luke and smiled, "Hi, Leia." She turned back to face Luke, "I don't think we've met, but I'm Rex."

Luke opened his mouth to introduce his own self, but Rex was already a step in front of him.

"And I know that you're Luke." She smiled, "I heard a lot about you."

Luke frowned, hoping that he didn't hear the little bit about him killing Nathan Kithrose. He mentally groaned; Jerome probably has it spread all around the Jedi Temple by now.

"So, Rex," Leia began, "why are you and Lola searching for Master Kenobi?"

Rex grimaced, "We have bad news for him."

Luke and Leia both snapped their heads to look at Rex, their eyes wide with alarm.

Rex nodded solemnly, "It's not good. Lola's master, Master Mundi, was not able to track down the Sith."

Leia gasped, "He got away?"

Luke rolled his eyes. _Of course he got away! Are you kidding me? You can't catch Darth Vader!_

Rex nodded, "And you wanna know the worst part? Apparently Mundi's squadron of clones was attacked by a whole division of droids!"

Luke was taken aback. Leia—true to herself—let out a dramatic gasp. Luke only frowned, "But Vader doesn't even have droids."

Rex shrugged, "That's what Master Mundi told Lola."

"Why didn't Lola just go with Master Mundi to follow Vader?" Luke asked, annoyed but not sure why.

Rex frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how come no one ever takes their apprentices with them to do stuff?"

Rex laughed, "Lola is still too young to go out chasing Sith Lords!"

Luke frowned. She looked old enough to him. "How old is she?"

"Seventeen," Rex giggled.

Seventeen! To Luke, Lola should practically be old enough to be a Knight! Why did the Jedi do things so differently than the Sith?

"How old are you, Rex?" Leia asked, smiling.

"I just turned sixteen a couple weeks ago!" Rex said proudly.

"Oh, congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Rex giggled. She looked over at Luke, almost expectantly.

Luke never congratulated anyone for reaching the checkpoint of another whole year lived before, and he wasn't going to start now. He avoided the topic and went straight to his next question, "And is sixteen too young for you to follow your Jedi master around as well?"

Luke had meant for this question to come off as sarcastic and forceful. Part of him wanted Rex to really think about her worth as a Jedi. She only laughed.

"Well, in my case, it's a little different." Rex chuckled, "The only way I can really learn is if I observe Master Offee in her work."

Luke's eyebrows rose, "You're the apprentice of Master Offee?"

Rex nodded, smiling. "Not as many healers as there are guardians."

"How come I've heard of all these great Jedi Masters, but none of their Padawans?" Luke asked.

Rex laughed, "No one ever pays attention to the stupid ole Padawans."

Leia laughed along with her. Rex nodded, "It's true! I guess I can only start to make a name for myself once I'm knighted and start healing Jedi like _Anakin Skywalker_."

Leia's happy demeanor diminished. "Have you been in to help heal our father?"

Rex shook her head, "No, Master Offee won't let me. Too serious."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the three.

Rex leaned in a little, "Did you go in to see your father, Leia?"

Leia shook her head.

"You should, Leia." Rex said, all kidding set aside.

Leia cringed. It was obvious that she didn't want to go in to see her father. She was avoiding it all day. Seeing her father in such a vulnerable state was heartbreaking. Leia was always proud of her father—proud that he was strong and powerful. Leia was always safe and protected with her father.

"From all my years training as a healer, I've noticed some healing techniques work better than others." Rex continued, "My Master does what she can to heal the physical wounds of a Jedi, but sometimes you need more. I've noticed that when a Jedi is injured, just the sole presence of one that he or she loves is enough to quicken the healing process."

"What do you mean?"

"A Jedi does not normally hold close ties with many other beings. A Jedi is usually closest to his or her apprentice or master. If Master Kenobi was hurt, chances are that he would heal much faster if Hanalei Karla was in the room than if she was not."

Leia frowned, "You think I should go in there and talk to my father?"

Rex nodded, "Trust me. It's a little something I've been experimenting on."

"And it works?"

"Totally."

Leia's lips puckered with interest. She stood up hesitantly, and, taking a look back at Rex and Luke, went into Anakin's room.

Luke turned to look at Rex, completely bewildered. "Are you serious?"

Rex stood up and smiled, "Of course! I've been working on this for years! I told you, Luke: I've been trying to find a way to make a name for myself. I want to be known for something good that I've done, not just for being Barriss Offee's apprentice."

Luke, still perplexed, just stared up at Rex. "This sounds like something you've taken from a holodrama."

Rex tilted her head back and laughed.

Luke did not appreciate being laughed at, "I'm being serious."

"I know!" Rex laughed, "That's why it's so funny, because it's true!"

Luke rolled his eyes and Rex left, still laughing at the whole ordeal. So Rex sent Leia in—practically against her will—to talk to her unconscious father. And her only grounds are a little bit of observations and a whole bit of holodramas. Luke shook his head, remembering to never take this Padawan "Rex" seriously. Who even names a girl Rex?

* * *

><p>Leia sat down on the seat next to Anakin's bed. She looked around first. The room was all white—white sheets, white furniture, white curtain blinds that were pulled all the way back to allow full sun exposure. Leia smiled, thinking of Rex. Rex and her superstitious healing methods. She probably advised the med droid to let in as much sun as possible because Anakin loved the sun. <em>I mean<em>, Leia thought to herself, _he _did_ grow up on a planet with two suns! _

She looked at the form of her father's unconscious body. It really hurt her to see him like this. Leia couldn't think of a time where she had ever seen her father so weak and helpless. It sickened her.

She reached for his hand, which was lying on top of the white bed covers next to his body. She entwined her small, skinny fingers in between his long, thick ones.

"Daddy?" Her voice quivered.

She stared at him intently and then realized that he probably did not hear her because she wasn't loud enough. Leia looked around to all the medical equipment humming around her. The machine next to her monitored Anakin's heart, beeping at steady intervals. The mask over Anakin's mouth fogged up with every breath he took. This room was alive with Anakin's essence, but Leia couldn't find the right words to reach him.

"I don't know if you can hear me," she began once again, "but I really want you to get better, Dad. I _need_ you to get better."

Another pause.

"I'm sorry that you're hurt, Dad. And I hope that this sleep lets you forget about the pain."

No answer. Leia sighed, looking away. Her hand tightened in her father's clasp.

"I'm really proud of you, Dad. You're so brave, and I wish I could be as brave as you."

Leia wanted nothing more for her father's eyes to open, just so she could see his soft blue eyes. Luke's eyes were too blue, almost piercing. They were always angry, not soft and comforting like Anakin's. All she wanted was to be assured that everything would be okay. Only her father could do that.

"You're courage allows you to be a pretty good Jedi, I guess." Leia said, "but sometimes I wish you weren't. I wish you'd stop being a Jedi, Dad."

Leia bit her lip hard, thinking she should change the subject. She often thought about this—what it would be like if her father was not a Jedi. She never said anything aloud, in case she accidently began to cry. But now, Leia realized this was probably the only chance she'd ever be able to tell her father how she felt—and it was up to him to really listen.

"This is the reason that I never wanted to be a Jedi when I was younger." she continued. "I saw how being a Jedi affected your life—and our whole family's life. You were barely ever home.

She looked down, "I guess you've been home pretty often for the past few months. I thought everything was finally better. Luke was back, you were back… Everything was going great…"

She looked up at her father. He was still sleeping. She sighed, _might as well get the whole thing out then_.

"I know you wanted me to be a Jedi for my whole life, Dad." Leia admitted, "I saw how much it killed you that you didn't get to train Luke _or_ me."

Still no answer. Was Anakin as miserable as Leia was right now? She felt like she was going to tear the room apart.

She huffed, "It's not fair!" She removed her hand from her father's grasp, "how come everyone gets to have a normal life except for us?! I never had a normal family, and now I never will!"

Tears began to stream down her face, "I thought that if I didn't become a Jedi, then maybe you'd stop too. You would have nobody to train, and you could just stay home with me and Mom."

She sniffled, wiping a tear away. "Boy, was I wrong."

She sat back in her chair, looking around at the room. She couldn't even take this anymore. "I just wish our family wasn't so messed up. I wish we could all be happy. I wish nobody was ever _kidnapped_ or _stabbed_… I want it all to stop."

She looked at her father one last time, and this time she was so sure that he had heard her. It almost looked like he was cringing, conveying to Leia that he wanted it all to stop too.


	50. Chapter 50

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

Luke and Leia were sitting out in the corridor in the med bay of the Jedi Temple again. This time, it was their mother who was in there with Anakin.

"Aren't you _ever_ going to go in?" Leia asked Luke.

Luke didn't answer, but just looked away.

"You know," Leia said, "after I talked to him yesterday, I felt a_ lot_ better."

Luke just shrugged, not really sure if he even wanted to go in. What would he even say? Sorry? Yeah right.

"I guess they called off the search for Vader." Leia said, changing the subject. "Rex told me about it."

Luke, who honestly did not feel like talking to Leia about Darth Vader, chose a different route of conversation instead. "Is Rex even a girl's name?"

Leia unexpectedly burst out laughing.

"What?" Luke said.

Leia shook her head, "No, her real name is not Rex, of course not! Rex is short for 'Rexroth'. That's her surname."

"Then what's her real first name?" Luke asked.

Leia shrugged, "I don't know. No one ever calls her by her real first name. Except for her master, I guess. Everyone just calls her Rex."

"I'm surprised she even talked to me yesterday," Luke said gloomily. "I would have thought that everyone hates me now for killing your dad's Padawan."

Leia took a deep breath and sighed, looking away. "No, nobody _hates_ you Luke. Besides, no one really knows about that except for the Jedi Masters that were in the room with you and the three of us eavesdropping outside the door."

"Yeah, but Jerome—"

"Jerome didn't tell a soul," Leia interrupted. "Master Kenobi and Master Tano made us _swear_. Of course, Hanalei and I would never have told anyone anyway. They were mostly concerned about Jerome."

Luke scoffed, "He'll still tell people. I wouldn't hold it above him not to."

Leia shook her head, "You don't know Jerome. You may hate him and he may hate you, but he's still a Jedi and he still has more respect to his master than anybody. He would never go against her word."

Luke shrugged, still skeptical.

All of a sudden, Padmé exited from Anakin's room and began walking down the opposite end of the corridor. Leia got up from the bench, "I'll be right back. I just wanna ask Mom something."

Luke nodded and Leia ran off after her mother.

He sat there by himself for a while, just watching all the med droids and the healers walking about. Then, he felt a familiar presence nearby. Obi-Wan Kenobi sat next to him.

"How are you, Luke?" Obi-Wan asked in his kind, Coruscanti accent.

Luke shrugged, "Fine."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, "You don't _sound_ fine. You know, your mother and Leia were like that, too, before they went in to go visit your father."

Luke just looked up at Obi-Wan and glared at him.

Obi-Wan was not intimidated, however. He held up a datapad and handed it to Luke.

Luke just frowned at it.

"If you find yourself having trouble thinking of what to say in there," Obi-Wan said, "start reading from this datapad."

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"This datapad holds a collection of all sorts of fan mail from young boys and girls all around the galaxy," Obi-Wan smiled. "They all heard about your father being injured on the news, and they wrote to him."

Luke's eyebrows rose, "He has _fan mail?"_

Ob-Wan chuckled, "There are literally thousands of letters saved on to that datapad. Just read a couple of them to him, he might like it."

Luke just gave Obi-Wan a skeptical look, "He might like it? But what if he can't hear me?"

Obi-Wan smiled down at Luke, a cryptic gleam twinkling in his light blue eyes. "He will hear you. The Force works in mysterious ways."

Luke rolled his eyes, annoyed with all this Jedi voodoo. He took the datapad and got up. Taking one last glance at Obi-Wan, he entered Anakin's room.

Everything seemed so surreal. Anakin was lying on this white hospital bed, totally unconscious. The monitor next to his bed read his heartbeat, beeping and steady intervals.

Luke sat down in the chair next to the bed.

At first he expected Anakin to start the conversation. Anakin was _always_ the one to start any conversation.

It was weird seeing Anakin so quiet and…_vulnerable_. Luke had come to respect Anakin these past couple of months. Anakin was nice and brave and courageous and smart and strong and everything Luke wished he could be. Luke had come to realize that one day he wanted to be just like Anakin Skywalker, his father.

It was true. For all of Luke's life, he had heard wonderful things about Anakin Skywalker. On the news, from the senators, even from some of the people on the Death Star. Vader tried to refute all of these "wonderful things." He'd tell Luke that the Jedi were stupid and good-for-nothings. Vader rarely singled Anakin out specifically just to talk about him—he probably didn't want to give Luke the impression that Anakin was even worth talking about—but Luke knew that Vader held a hateful grudge against Anakin. He realized this ever since he was told to kill Anakin's apprentice.

So, for all of his life, Luke had mixed feelings about the Jedi. He knew the Jedi were enigmatic and mysterious, but he never thought them to be much different from the Sith. Spending these past couple of months with the Jedi made Luke realize how wrong he had been.

He had especially been wrong about Anakin. Vader had always made Anakin seem like the worst of all the Jedi. This was far from true.

Perhaps one of the reasons that Luke decided to stay behind instead of go with Vader was because he was so entranced with the Jedi. He had learned so much about the Jedi, and he realized that all of his previous knowledge about them was erroneous and misconstrued.

If Anakin died, he would truly feel miserable. He could never have imagined that his real father was a Jedi; but when he found out, he realized that his father could not have been anything _but_ a Jedi. How else would Luke be so strong with the Force? Luke was almost proud of his father—but he'd never say it out loud.

He looked back at Anakin's sleeping form. He actually had no clue where to start.

He looked down at the data pad in his lap. _Well_, he thought, _might as well…_

He activated it and looked at some of the letters addressed to Anakin. "Wow," he said, "you sure have a lot of fans."

He scrolled through the different letters, "They all say how they've heard about your 'accident' on the news and how they hope you get better."

He decided to pick a letter and open it. He needed something more to say, and what better than to read the contents of a concerned admirer?

"Some little girl from Cerea says that you are 'the greatest Jedi Master to ever have lived.'" Luke chuckled, "Another girl from Shili says that if you die, she will be very mad at you because you are her 'hero.'"

Luke smiled, actually enjoying this. He scrolled through more of the letters.

"This boy is from Tatooine, he says." Luke began. "His name is Kitster Banai…" He began reading the letter, and his brows furrowed. "Actually, he's not a boy, he's a man. And he claims that he knows you!"

Luke looked up at Anakin's unconscious form, "Did you know a guy named Kitster? You said you were from Tatooine, and this guy says he used to be a slave, just like you."

Luke shrugged and skimmed over the letter again, "he says you are his inspiration, and that he misses you."

"I remember him." Anakin said softly.

"Yeah, he seems like he actually knows you. A lot of these fans claim they know you, but… you have to be a little skeptical."

Luke looked back up at Anakin, the essence of his smile still plastered on his face. Anakin smiled back at him, and it took Luke a minute to realize that he was no longer speaking to a man in a coma.

His amusement quickly shifted into shock, "You're awake!"

Anakin chuckled lightly, "Took you a minute."

Luke shot up, "I'm gonna go get—"

"Wait," Anakin reached for Luke's arm, "sit back down."

Luke complied.

"How long was I out?" Anakin asked.

"About a week," Luke answered.

Anakin nodded and looked away.

The air in the room was so palpably awkward. Luke knew he had to say something. But what?

"I…" Luke bit his lip, "I'm sorry that—"

Anakin shook his head, "Don't even. You have nothing to be sorry for."

Luke just looked down at his lap, playing with his fingers.

"I'm glad you stayed, Luke." Anakin said, "I'm glad you didn't go with him."

Still looking down at his lap, Luke said "Me too."

Anakin smiled, "Not gonna lie, I had my doubts. I was afraid that you had left me. Because I had never felt you come in to see me."

Luke looked at Anakin incredulously, "Come on, you can't actually know who all has been in here to see you. You and Master Kenobi keep playing this Jedi voodoo game with me. It's not real."

Anakin laughed, "I'm serious. I know Leia was in here just yesterday. She was a mess."

Luke awkwardly clasped his hands together and stood up again. "I'm gonna get Padmé."

Anakin smiled, "Okay."

Luke quickly exited the room and ran straight into Obi-Wan, who was beaming down at the young boy.

"He's awake, isn't he?" Obi-Wan asked gleefully. Luke didn't even answer, but Obi-Wan nodded. "I knew he would wake up once you went in there. I knew it!"

Obi-Wan gave Luke a hard playful pat on the back and then went into his old apprentice's room. Luke was left in the corridor alone for a moment before deciding to run off and find his mother.

* * *

><p>He found Padmé and Leia in a room outside of the med bay. As he entered, they both looked up at him.<p>

Luke, who had been running, looked like he had some bad news or something based on the look on his face. Padmé immediately jumped up, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Luke shook his head, "Anakin's awake."

Padmé's eyebrows shot up and Leia cheered. They both got up and raced to the door, but then Padmé stopped.

Luke frowned and Padmé came over to him and gave him the biggest hug he had ever received from her—even bigger than the time when he first met her.

This time, Luke hugged back. Or at least, what he considered to call "hugging back." He just kind of put one arm around her, but whatever. To Luke, that was one hug too much for a lifetime.

Padmé let go and grinned at Luke. She patted his hair and then exited the room, an ecstatic Leia following behind her.

Luke waited there for a moment, contemplating the events of the past fifteen minutes. He smiled and followed the rest of his family.


	51. Chapter 51

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

The state of the Jedi Temple was significantly happier after its esteemed Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker had awakened.

Anakin spent a few more days in bed as Master Offee finished up her famous healing work. Several Jedi and non-Jedi were in to visit the Hero With No Fear. Younglings, Padawans, Knights, Masters, senators, clones, pilots, and anyone else who might have held a close relationship with him were in to visit.

Luke rarely found time to visit him alone, for which he was glad. He dreaded to have to endure a conversation about his least favorite topic: Darth Vader. Now that Anakin had officially met him, he knew that a little chat about that night's confrontation was bound to occur.

Luckily, the only times Luke was ever in to visit his father, he was accompanied by his family or other Jedi.

Luke was right in a sense. There was definitely going to be a conversation about Darth Vader taking place. However, it wasn't going to include him.

One morning, Anakin found himself alone in his room with only Barriss Offee by his side. She was dictating orders to the other med droids in the room. Today marked the final day of Anakin's incarceration in the med bay.

"I'd just like to thank you, Barriss, for everything you have done for—"

"Oh, Anakin!" The healer exclaimed, "this is perhaps the millionth time you have thanked me. Honestly, it was no trouble."

Anakin smiled at his old friend.

"In fact," Master Offee smiled, "it was a pleasure."

Anakin laughed and got up from the bed, now fully clothed in his regular black Jedi attire for the first time in weeks.

"Oh, Anakin," the healer called out, "before you leave, I must inform you about a quick Council meeting that is about to take place."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, "Right now?"

Master Offee nodded, "Yes, Master Windu asked me to inform you."

Anakin nodded, "Well, let's go up together then."

* * *

><p>For the first time in a long time, every single Jedi Master was present for this Council meeting. Some were afraid of participating in the meeting from anywhere else in the galaxy, just in case the feed was intercepted.<p>

Anakin, who still suffered a great injury from his abdominal wound, struggled with walking far distances. Master Offee helped him the whole way up to the High Council Chambers, even though Anakin claimed he didn't need it. He had to stay strong.

Once the meeting was commenced, it all got serious.

"So you might know why we have called this meeting today," Windu started out. He looked over at Anakin, "It's imperative that we discuss what has, ah, happened to Master Skywalker."

"Tell us, Anakin," Master Mundi began, "is Vader a skilled swordsman?"

Anakin sighed, "Well, yes…"

"Do you think he taught Luke all there is to know about the Dark Side?" Windu cut in.

Anakin frowned, "Are we here to talk about Vader or Luke?"

Mundi looked down, "Anakin, what more is there to talk about when it comes to the Sith? We all know who he is, what he has done, and all that has happened. He ran away and we couldn't even catch him."

"I understand that, but—"

"We need to reevaluate young Skywalker," Windu interrupted.

"What is there to reevaluate?" Obi-Wan inquired. "He's just a boy, he's not a Sith. We have already established this."

"I don't think so," Windu said.

Anakin was taken aback, "Are you saying my son is a Sith?"

"I'm saying," Windu clarified, "that your son has been under the tutelage of a quite powerful Sith Lord, and that we must do something about it."

"It is clear," Plo Koon said, speaking for the first time, "that young Skywalker cannot continue on with our original plan for him."

"What original plan?" Anakin asked, becoming more and more irritated as the Masters continued to talk about Luke this way.

"Yes, what plan?" Stass Allie said, frowning, just as confused as Anakin.

"Our original plan," Windu said, "was to attempt at normalizing young Skywalker as much as we could, correct? We put him in school and we denied him any access to a lightsaber or weapon."

"This plan is _not_ working," Anakin said, thoroughly annoyed now. "Luke was not meant to stay in school and become a regular citizen. He was destined for much greater things."

"Yes, but unfortunately life got in the way and Luke can never become the Jedi that he was always 'destined' to be." Windu remarked.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Master Windu." Anakin said coldly, "Are you saying we need to train Luke, or not?"

"I'm saying that Luke needs to be trained, but not like the others." Windu responded.

Obi-Wan frowned, "Not like the others?"

"Young Skywalker has too much knowledge of the Dark Side," Windu explained. "We must teach him the correct version of what he already knows, but no more."

"No more?" Obi-Wan repeated, "You want to teach him to be half a Jedi?"

"Hold on," Master Mundi said, "You don't want him to be a Jedi at all."

"No," Windu said, "I do not."

There was a short pause in the arguing before Anakin spoke again, "How can you do that? How can you only teach him certain things about being a Jedi? Why can't we just train him?"

"Because, Skywalker," Windu said more forcefully, "he's too dangerous."

"He's a thirteen year-old boy!"

Windu took out a smaller lightsaber from his belt, "Isn't it ironic that once he was placed with a lightsaber in his hand, one of our Jedi Masters gets stabbed?"

Anakin's jaw dropped, "He saved my _life_ with that weapon!"

Windu looked away from Anakin and redirected his next statement towards the rest of the Council, "We must suppress young Skywalker from being able to reach his full potential."

"That won't work!" Anakin yelled, standing up.

A few of the masters gasped, and Barriss Offee let out a concerned cry: "Anakin, please sit down! Your wound is still not fully healed!"

"You can't just _pick and choose_ what he learns!" Anakin continued, "It will be just as bad! He will never be able to understand what's right and what's wrong—"

"That's what our main concern is!" Windu said, standing up to face Anakin. More council members gasped.

"All I am suggesting," Windu said forcefully, "is to teach him right from wrong and skip all the other Jedi _tricks!_"

"We can't teach him to be half a Jedi!" Anakin yelled.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan chided.

"He already knows so much about the Force!" Anakin continued, "We have to continue his training, but in the right direction!"

"Skywalker, listen—"

"If you only teach him half the information," Anakin continued, not caring that he was interrupting Mace Windu, "then he will be just as confused as he is now! He'll never fully appreciate the Jedi doctrines. He'll be more inclined to return to being a Sith!"

Windu pointed at Anakin, "You see? You said it yourself! He is inclined to return to the Sith!"

Anakin's jaw dropped; he lifted his arm to point back at Windu to fight back with another remark, however he suddenly felt a sharp pang in his stomach. He clutched his belly and gasped.

Master Offee rushed to his side, "Anakin!"

"Take him back down to the medical bay." Obi-Wan said with a sense of urgency in his voice.

The people in the room looked like they were melting. All the colors in the chamber began spinning around, and the voices of all the other Masters sounded fuzzy.

"No, I'm fine…" Anakin heard himself moan.

"Alright, Ani, we know you're fine." Padmé said for the hundredth time.

Anakin's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up.

"Be careful, now." Padmé said.

Anakin looked around the room, "What am I doing here?"

Padmé bit her lip. She was sitting next to Anakin's bed in his old room in the med bay. "You collapsed."

Anakin shook his head, "What, no I didn't!"

Padmé smiled softly—a smile that did not reach her eyes. "It's okay, Ani. You're fine now. You're alright."

She seemed to say this more to herself than to Anakin as she took his hand and patted it softly.

Anakin shook his head, not even able to believe what was going on. "But—But everything was fine! I was totally fine, why did this—?"

Anakin was interrupted as Master Offee walked into the room, "Just a minor black out, Anakin, nothing to be worried about."

Padmé smiled in relief, but Anakin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You got angry," Barriss explained, "You've been so stressed lately, and that little argument with Master Windu didn't make things any better. You fainted. I told you that you were not fully healed yet, but somehow my warning went unheeded."

Padmé shook her head disapprovingly at Anakin.

Anakin sighed and then slowly moved to poperly sit up on the bed. He noticed that he was still wearing his normal black tunic; however, his cape, vest, and boots were all removed.

Padmé helped him put his shoes on as Obi-Wan walked into the room.

Anakin looked up, "Master! You need to tell me, what did the Council—"

Obi-Wan put his hand up, stopping Anakin. Anakin took that to mean that the Council had refused Anakin's plea. He exhaled a deep breath and looked away.

Padmé frowned, looking between Obi-Wan and Anakin. "What happened in that forsaken Council meeting, anyway?"

Obi-Wan bit his lip, "We were discussing Luke's future. Whether or not he should…"

Padmé became worried, "Whether or not _what_, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan stared intently at Anakin, "I know how you feel, Anakin. I know you are frustrated with the Council, as am I."

"More than frustrated, Obi-Wan." Anakin muttered.

"But I am going to help you, Anakin." Obi-Wan continued.

Anakin looked up at his former master questioningly.

"At one time, the Council has forbidden Qui-Gon, and myself, from training you. However…"

"You trained me anyway." Anakin whispered, the realization hitting him.

"I'm _going_ to help you with this, Anakin." Obi-Wan said reassuringly.

Anakin nodded, a smile slowly forming at his lips. Padmé just sat there looking back and forth between the two Jedi Masters, feeling as confused as ever. Obi-Wan felt it was time to quench the worrying mother's curiosity.

"Luke will become a Jedi."


	52. Chapter 52

**Moral of the story: you can't keep all your feelings bottled up inside forever, or you'll explode.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO<strong>

It was winter break and Padmé felt it more than necessary that the entire family spent the holidays on Naboo.

"This way," she told the twins, "Anakin can just rest without having to argue with Windu or anybody else. His health is so fragile…"

Luke was totally fine with this decision to spend two weeks on Naboo—far, far away from all the drama of Coruscant. He felt like he couldn't go a day without someone mentioning something about the whole Darth Vader incident. Eventually, he just stopped going to the Jedi Temple altogether.

It had been two days since Anakin's collapse scare, and Luke spent the entire time at home helping Padmé and Threepio pack for their trip. Anakin stayed home too, and Luke had to go out of his way to make sure that he and his father were never alone together. They still hadn't discussed "that night"... and honestly, Luke dreaded it.

Luke knew that Anakin was trying to find a time in which they could just sit down and talk about what happened. Luke knew that Anakin was also dying to reveal to Luke what _really_ happened in the Council meeting. Anakin suspected that Luke had heard all the crazy rumors. And that's true. Luke heard from at least four different Padawans that Master Windu and Anakin had engaged in a lightsaber duel in that Council meeting. He had also heard that Anakin collapsed after several other Jedi asked him to resign from being a Jedi. Some say that Anakin himself had asked to quit being a Jedi.

Luke knew that all of these tales were not true, though. Something serious happened in that meeting, and for some reason it had Luke written all over it. Luke was the main topic of that assembly that day, and it was the reason that Anakin's wound cramped. For some reason, anything bad that ever happened to Anakin was always Luke's fault.

They were sitting at dinner in their last full night on Coruscant. Thankfully, Leia had been there to close the void in the dinner conversation.

"We won't stay in Theed for too long, right? I want to spend the majority of the time at the lake house."

Padmé nodded, her smile widening. "I heard that this will be the whitest winter on Naboo in the past thirty years. Varykino will be frozen solid."

Leia gasped in excited, "That means we can go ice skating! Oh, Luke, you're gonna _love_ this. There's sledding and ice skating and skiing and _snowball fights_—"

Padme and Anakin laughed, and even Luke chuckled. Leia frowned, "What's funny?"

"Just you." Luke replied, and the others laughed.

Leia rolled her eyes, "Ha-_ha_. But I'm serious, it's the best time of the year on Naboo."

"Have you packed everything?" Padmé asked.

Leia nodded, "Everything but—"

Leia paused, and her eyes widened. Padmé frowned, "What is it?"

"I forgot mittens." Leia said, her eyes wide with fear.

Luke didn't know if this was another joke or not; Padmé just rolled her eyes, "I already packed your gloves, dear."

"No, no," Leia shook her head, "_mittens_. I need _mittens_."

"What's the _difference?"_ Luke asked, thoroughly confused.

"Let me guess," Anakin said, before Leia could answer. "Gloves are for sledding while mittens are for skiing."

"No," Leia whined, "you got it all wrong. You never wear mittens while skiing, that's just _weird_."

"Good thing you're here to tell us all this," Luke said seriously, "I'd hate to be weird."

Anakin and Padmé laughed, and Leia just sat there fuming. "Look," she said, "mittens are for ice skating and looking pretty. They're _stylish_, while gloves are merely _functional_."

Anakin turned to Padmé, "Looks like you'll also need to get me mittens for my prosthetic, so I can be stylish."

Padmé laughed out loud and got up from the table, unable to eat anymore after all this laughing. She helped Threepio carry the plates over to the dishwasher and then grabbed her purse. "Let's go, Leia, and get you those mittens."

* * *

><p>With Leia and Padmé gone, Luke quickly exited the kitchen and practically made a run for the stairs.<p>

"Off to bed so early _again?_" Anakin commented.

Luke spun around and faced his father, "Um, yes."

Anakin raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "Oh really? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were avoiding me."

Luke opened his mouth to respond, but he was speechless. He couldn't lie to Anakin, it was impossible.

Anakin gestured over to the living room where they could sit down, "Come on."

Luke sighed and followed Anakin over to the couch where he sat across from him.

"So, what's up?" Anakin asked as he sat back on the plush white sofa, with one leg plopped up on the coffee table in front of them—a habit that annoyed Padmé to no end, but thankfully she wasn't here to see the atrocity.

Luke shrugged.

Anakin smiled at Luke, "We really haven't talked much since…"

Luke looked down at his hands that were folded on top of his lap.

Anakin's smile faded. "Can we at least talk about—"

"What is there to talk about?" Luke snapped.

Anakin pursed his lips, "I just… I want us to go back to the way we were. You have barely looked me in the eye since that night, and I just want us to go back to normal."

"Normal?" Luke scoffed. He stood up, "since when have we ever been _normal?_"

"All I'm saying," Anakin said, "is that we need to just forget about all that has happened and start fre—"

"_FORGET?!"_ Luke practically screamed, and Anakin jumped in his seat. "HOW CAN YOU _FORGET_ EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED?"

Luke's rage was something like Anakin has never seen. Since when has Luke had so much bottled up anger?

"IT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY! YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT IT!" Luke continued with his explosion of emotions, causing several vases and other items of Padmé's beloved décor to burst and shatter all over the floor. Anakin was taken aback.

"Luke, you've done nothing wrong—you don't have to—"

Luke's eyes popped out of his sockets, "NOTHING? YOU THINK ME KILLING YOUR APPRENTICE IS _NOTHING?_"

Anakin was on his feet in an instant. He pointed a finger at Luke, "Don't you even—that wasn't your fault!"

"Oh _really?!" _Luke said with maximum sarcasm, putting his hands on his hips. "It wasn't my fault when I _stabbed_ him with my _LIGHTSABER?_"

"_What_ do you want me to do, Luke?!" Anakin shouted back, "what _point_ are you trying to make? How do you want me to respond to this?!"

Luke threw his hands up in the air in pure exasperation, "I'm not trying to _make a point!_ You just need to stop pretending that all of this never happened, because it did! It _did_ happen!"

Anakin took a deep breath and sat back down. He put a hand up to his forehead and rested his head with his elbow on the couch. Luke remained standing, looking down at the Jedi Master.

Anakin slowly looked back up at him. "Alright, it happened. Are you happy now?"

Luke folded his arms across his chest, "Aren't you going to make me apologize or something?"

Anakin scoffed and looked around at all the destruction in the living room, "What, so you can blow up the whole house?"

The words left Anakin's lips before he could even think about what he was really saying. Luke's face twisted into a sort of grimace, and he stalked upstairs to his room.

With a mental groan, Anakin lowered his head into his hands. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers, trying to erase the past five minutes from his mind.

It was at this moment that Anakin realized he would never be able to have a normal relationship with his son. Any normal parent would have stood up and yelled at Luke for his outright disrespect. Any normal parent would have punished him.

Anakin looked around at the mess of the living room. Not one crystal vase had been spared.

What _was_ this? Sure, any normal father _would_ have punished his son, but this was no normal son.

How many parents had to deal with Force-sensitive children? Not many. And Luke was no normal Force-sensitive child. His midichlorian count matched that of Anakin's, and his strong, refined connection to the Force astounded everybody.

Anakin could never punish Luke. Hadn't he been punished enough with these past ten years? Luke had a right to be angry. Anakin was practically denying Luke's whole history as a Sith.

The truth is, though, is that Anakin had difficulty connecting Luke as Nathan's killer. In his mind, it was simply not true. Luke could never kill _anybody_, let alone Nathan. _Nathan!_

Nathan was like Anakin's son at one point in time. Anakin had always dreamed of training his son as a Jedi, and so he supplanted that dream with Nathan. There was just no way that Luke had ever killed him.

But, fine. If Luke wanted Anakin to outwardly accept the fact that Nathan died at his hands, then Anakin could oblige. He would never believe it on the inside, but he would do as Luke asked. All he wanted was a strong relationship with his son—no matter what the cost.

Anakin found himself cursing Darth Vader once again, for the millionth time that week, ever since he awoke from his coma.

He stood up, feeling too mentally drained to stay awake any longer. He'd rather get to bed now than stay awake when Padmé got home to witness the state of her home. He called out to Threepio to clean up the living room.


	53. Chapter 53

**Sorry for the long wait everyone! I got so busy with a lot of things, and it was hard for me to upload this chapter the past couple days because I was away...**

**I wanted to bring you this chapter a little earlier because the next few chapters are all going to have like a Christmas-y feel to them, and I don't want anyone to lose that holiday spirit!**

**Happy holidays everyone! Enjoy this ten-page chapter...**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE<strong>

Anakin woke up to the sound of someone walking around the room hurriedly. He cracked an eye open and was less than surprised to see Padmé stuffing all her clothes into a suitcase.

Anakin ran a hand through his tousled hair and sat up on the bed, "Padmé, we aren't leaving until tonight. Why are we packing _now?"_

Padmé huffed and stood up, "The earlier we are finished packing, the earlier we can go."

Anakin sighed and got up from the bed. He mumbled a few words about his dislike for packing, and then went into the refresher.

* * *

><p>Luke was suspicious.<p>

All morning, Anakin was acting a lot nicer than usual. A lot.

This time, it was _Luke_ who was going to corner Anakin and ask him what was going on. Hadn't Luke and Anakin gotten into a fight yesterday over the fact that Anakin was pretending that Luke never killed his Padawan? It seemed like he didn't learn his lesson, because now he was pretending like that whole little fiasco never happened in the first place.

But Luke was wrong. Anakin was _not_ pretending like last night never happened. There was something else on his mind…

Luke was fine with packing his own clothes, but Padmé insisted she do it for him. Not even able to help, Luke left his room to go downstairs, running into Leia.

Leia looked around the living room suspiciously, "Hey, Luke, do you know what happened to all of the décor in this room?"

Luke shrugged, "Nope."

Leia shook her head, "Maybe Mom moved them or something."

"Maybe." Luke repeated.

Leia looked at her brother, "What's up?"

"Where's your dad?"

Leia turned around to look out the window, "He left a while ago to the Jedi Temple. He should be back soon."

Luke looked out the same window and, sure enough, Anakin's speeder came down and landed on the landing pad only moments after Leia had said so.

Luke gave her an impressed look and then went outside through the kitchen to confront his father.

Anakin climbed out of his speeder and the door shut behind him. The day was cloudy and windy, and his cape billowed in the air. He looked down at his son, "What's up?"

Luke looked up at his father and crossed his arms over his chest, "What's up with _you?"_

Anakin smiled, "Let's go inside and—"

"No." Luke said, "You need to tell me why you're acting so…weird"

Anakin pursed his lips and looked down at his feet, "There's no easy way to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" Luke said, his voice completely monotone, preparing for the worst.

Anakin clapped his hands together and rubbed them anxiously, "Why don't we go inside, it's getting cold."

"Tell me _what?_" Luke repeated, not moving a step.

Anakin snapped his head in Luke's direction. Putting on the sternest face he could muster with his son, he just came out and said it: "You're going to train with me to become a Jedi."

Luke opened his mouth, but Anakin held up his hand. "No buts, no exceptions. This is final."

Luke frowned, "This is what the Council wanted you to do? This is why you—"

"The Council doesn't want you to be a Jedi. _I_ do."

Luke opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to find the words he wanted to use. He folded his arms.

Anakin sighed and went inside the house, leaving Luke outside on the landing platform with the wind blowing through his hair.

_Me?_ Luke thought, _a Jedi?_

* * *

><p>It was well into the afternoon when the Skywalker family was finally ready to embark on their trip. The sun was setting, casting a nice golden glow onto Padmé's J-type star skiff. Thankfully, this starship was just big enough to hold the entire family, the droids, and all of the luggage that Leia was bent on taking with her.<p>

Anakin and Padmé went into the cockpit while the twins hung around in the lounge area.

Leia sat across from Luke on a couch. She extended her legs over the caf table in front of her and smiled at her brother.

He just gave her a frown and sat on the couch directly across from Leia's. "What?"

Leia shrugged, "This is gonna be a looong trip, let's play a game!"

Luke shrugged, "Fine, like what?"

Leia drummed her fingers on her chin, "Ahh, how about twenty questions?"

"What's that?"

Leia abruptly sat up, "You've never played twenty questions before?!"

Luke shook his head and Leia let out an overly dramatic gasp, "It's so easy! I'm going to think of a person, place, or thing, and you have twenty questions to figure out what it is. They all have to be yes or no questions, and if you win then you get to go next."

Luke shrugged, "Okay."

Leia smiled and sat back into her couch, "Alright… I'm thinking of a thing."

Luke folded his arms across his chest and extended his own legs across the caf table so that they were right next to his sister's. "Is it big?"

Leia shook her head, "Nope."

"Is it…something you build?"

"Yes."

"Is it a technological device?"

"Uh, no."

"Is it a weapon?"

"Yes!"

"Is it a blaster?"

"Nope!"

"It's a lightsaber."

Leia sat up clapped her hands, "We have a winner!"

Luke chuckled, "Okay, so is it my turn now?"

Leia nodded and slouched back into the couch.

Luke thought for a moment, "I'm thinking of a thing."

Leia bit her lip, "Is it big?"

"Yeah."

"Is it made of technology?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can it communicate with—"

Leia was interrupted by arguing of the two family droids that had just entered the room.

"No, Artoo, I will not! You know how I feel when my circuits are subjected to the harsh cold winters of the lake country. I shall not go sledding with you."

Luke and Leia looked over at the droids. Artoo just swirled around and made a ton of beeping noises.

"No, Artoo, I already told you—"

"Hey!" Leia called out to the golden droid. Threepio spun around and looked at the young mistress.

"Don't you have to go be loud and obnoxious somewhere else?"

This question stumped the poor droid, who stuttered before answering, "Well, Master Ani instructed Artoo and I to inspect the ship's hyperdrive because he was afraid that it might have been—"

"Never mind, Threepio!" Anakin called out, "we fixed it!"

"Yay, so now you can go away." Leia said and Luke snickered.

"Master Ani thought Artoo and I should stay here with you." Threepio said.

Leia groaned and looked back at her brother, "Is it annoying?"

Luke frowned, "Huh?"

"The thing that you're thinking of. Is it—"

"Oh," Luke said, realizing that Leia had come back to playing their game. "Yes, it is very much so."

Leia glared at the golden droid, "Is it _Threepio?_"

Luke chuckled but didn't negate his sister. Anakin walked in and put his hands on his side, "Why are you two giving Threepio so much trouble?"

Luke's jaw dropped at the accusation and Leia leaped out of her seat, "We're not! It's all _your_ fault we have to deal with him, though. You brought this upon yourself!"

Anakin put a hand out and spoke directly to Leia, "Listen, Threepio is just as much a part of our family as you are. He's one of my lovely creations, just like you two."

Luke put his head in his hands and the look on Leia's face was beyond disgusted.

"Ew, Dad, never say anything like that ever again."

"Yeah," Luke agreed.

Leia just pointed back at the cockpit, "Just go back to where you came from."

"And take your creation with you." Luke added.

Anakin threw his head back and laughed all the way back to the cockpit of the ship. Threepio huffed and shuffled on right behind him.

Artoo gave the twins a questioning look and Luke smiled, "You can stay, Artoo."

* * *

><p>By the time they reached Theed, it was evening time on the planet.<p>

It was apparent that winter was in full swing on Naboo, just like Padmé had said. Luke had never seen so much snow on the ground on Corellia before.

"So, who all are we seeing here?" Luke asked Leia as the ship began to land in one of the hangar bays in the city. There were several ships in the hangar, and several people walked about. Luke figured that these were all Nubian people who lived off-world, like Padmé, who came back home for the holidays.

"Aunt Sola and her whole family," Leia began, "Which consists of Ryoo, Pooja, and her husband, Uncle Darred."

Luke mentally groaned. He hated meeting new people. And he didn't feel any better once he realized that this whole 'family get-together' was going to revolve around _him_.

"Grandma and grandpa," Leia continued. "They'll have all sorts of their friends over during this week."

Luke raised an eyebrow, wondering why his never-before-seen extended family was trying to ruin his life with large gatherings of people.

"This is a very festive season here on Naboo," Leia explained, smiling. "Friends and family all come together to give thanks and celebrate life."

Luke rolled his eyes. _Lame_.

Padmé soon came into the lounge and took several bags with her. Anakin followed behind, doing the same thing. It was time to leave the ship.

As Luke was following his family out of the ship, he wished that he didn't have to go through the awkwardness of greeting people who would probably cry over him for being a young kidnapped boy. It was weird enough when Padmé and Aunt Sola did it.

Luke was the last one to exit the ship. Padmé was already outside the ship hugging an older man whom Luke figured was Ruwee Naberrie, Padmé's father. Leia ran over and hugged Ryoo and Pooja, all three of them squealing in excitement. Anakin was shaking hands with someone that Luke speculated to be Ryoo and Pooja's father, Uncle Darred.

Luke wasn't even looking when he heard the voice of a man behind him, "Well, look who it is!"

Luke swirled around and stood face-to-face with Padmé's father—his grandfather. He opened his arms wide and engulfed Luke in a back-breaking hug. Thankfully he didn't stay like that too long, and he let go of Luke almost immediately afterwards. But the damage was already done… Ryoo, Pooja, and Leia were all laughing hysterically on the sidelines.

The adults paid no attention to any of that, though. They were all beaming at Luke—Padmé's smile the widest of all. Aunt Sola's husband, Darred Janren, introduced himself to Luke— with, thankfully, only a handshake.

"Last time I saw you," Ruwee smiled, "you were this tall." He measured the air up to his knees. Darred laughed and nodded his head; he looked over at Padmé, "Where have you been hiding him all this time?"

Padmé smiled apologetically and the others laughed.

They all walked over to the roomy transport shuttle that awaited them with all of their luggage. Ryoo and Pooja practically bounced on Luke all the way to the transport, informing him of all the great fun they were going to have while on this vacation.

"Grandma literally made every single dish known to man." Pooja warned. "And if you don't eat at least two servings of everything, then she'll think you don't like her cooking."

Ryoo nodded seriously, "She's been up since the crack of dawn…_yesterday_."

Luke raised his eyebrows, "Why?"

Ryoo and Pooja exchanged amused glances. "For you, silly!"

Luke groaned and kept walking.

* * *

><p>Padmé's family lived just in the outer suburbs of the capital city of Naboo—and what a capital city it was!<p>

Luke was used to Coruscant-style cities. And the metropolis that had served as his home for ten years—Coronet City, the capital of Corellia—was just as urban as the city planet that had become his new home in the past six months. But Naboo… Naboo was nothing like Coruscant.

There were no towering skyscrapers or blinking lights or heavy traffic, the speeder flew as close to the ground as it could without actually touching it, and there was a thin layer of white snow covering the surface of all the rooftops.

Luke could tell that this city would be even more beautiful in the spring, when the flowers could bloom and blossom all over the place. There were vines crawling up and down the outside walls of all these houses, dead from the winter cold. Only the sun could bring them back to life.

There was not much differentiation between these houses, now that they were going out more on the outskirts of the city. Each house was built with the same kind of stone on the exterior, and they all had that garden-y feel to them.

The speeder finally stopped outside one of the bigger houses of the neighborhood and everyone came out.

Luke did not expect the sudden bite of the cold, frosty wind when he stepped out. He looked over at his sister, who was rubbing her hands together and moaning about how she forgot her mittens in one of her other bags.

It was a dark, frigid night—only illuminated by the strings of festive lights strung around the trees and draped across the roofs of all the houses. Their bright shine reflected off of the white hard snow on the ground. The perfect winter wonderland.

The door opened and the well-lit foyer of Padmé's parents' house glowed in contrast to the Naboo night. An older-looking version of Padmé walked out. She stopped at the opening of the front door and then opened her arms out, welcoming her family.

Padmé waved to her excitedly as she grabbed one of the many bags from the transport's hold, but Jobal didn't notice.

Her eyes trailed over to where Luke was standing, and her smile widened.

Sola came out from behind her mother and ran out to the crowd, "Come! Come inside, everyone, it's so cold!"

Nobody made a move to go inside yet, as they were all still getting their luggage.

Luke tried to inconspicuously grab one of Leia's many bags so that he would look occupied, but Anakin snatched it right out of his hands.

"Go say hello to your grandmother." He said, suppressing his smile.

Anakin just liked to see Luke squirm, didn't he?

Before Luke could make a comeback, he was approached by a way-too excited Jobal Naberrie.

So this is where Padmé gets it from…

"Oh, Luke!" She cried, hugging her only grandson. "I was so _elated_ when Sola told me the news!"

Jobal was not hugging her grandson, no; she was squishing him. She was squishing him to the point that he could not even move his arms to hug her back. Next to him, Anakin just laughed.

Luke wanted to just turn around and punch Anakin for laughing at him, but then he felt better when Jobal turned to Anakin next and squished _him_.

"Mom!" Sola wailed, "It's freezing out here, please! Let's go in the house!"

Jobal reluctantly let go of her Jedi son-in-law and followed the rest of her extended family indoors.

The Skywalkers and Naberries (and Janren) all shuffled inside the house and hung up their coats and whatever.

Jobal clapped her hands once, "Alright, everybody, into the dining room! We jump to dinner straight away!"

Leia sighed in relief, "Good, 'cause I'm starved."

The dining room was right next to the foyer, so the families all went in right away and sat down.

Luke, who was about to sit at the very edge of the table, found himself being led by his grandmother all the way to the middle to sit right next to her.

Luke literally had no say whatsoever in what happened to him during the course of this dinner. His grandmother sat down right next to him and just started piling all the food that could fit onto his plate.

Luke looked around at the type of foods that were made at the table, and he realized that he actually liked everything he saw. In fact, these were all of his favorite foods—and that's really saying something because Luke was not one of those types of boys who just inhaled all the food right in front of him.

He realized that his grandmother must have really put in a lot of thought into this dinner. She must have had a long conversation with Padmé about what foods Luke liked and all. Because, after six months of living together, Padmé was probably more than able to figure out what Luke liked and what he wouldn't even touch.

As everyone finally settled into their seats, the dinner conversations could finally begin.

It amazed Luke at how these people could go months without seeing each other, yet could still converse as if they had just been together yesterday.

And after all the pleasantries ended, the real juicy questions sprang up.

"So, Luke…"

Luke sighed, _of course_… He looked up at his grandfather who had just spoken and prepared for the series of get-to-know-you questions.

"How do you like Coruscant?"

"Uh," Luke looked over at his father who was sitting right next to him, "It's fine."

Jobal shook her head disapprovingly, "I hate Coruscant and I hate that you all live there."

Padmé tilted her head sideways, "Mother…"

"It's too dangerous." Jobal said, with finality in her voice.

Padmé sighed, not wishing to get into an argument with her mother over dinner. Jobal was right, of course. Coruscant _was_ dangerous. Look at what happened to Anakin. Look at what happened to _Luke_.

"Just move here," Ruwee suggested.

Padmé sighed, "How many times have we talked about this, Dad? We can't."

"You're reasons are completely unreasonable." Ruwee huffed.

"I have my work there," Padmé began.

Jobal threw her arms in the air, "Senators don't have to always live on Coruscant! You represent Naboo, you might as well live on Naboo!"

Padmé shook her head, "I need to stay there, especially now. Especially now that all these Socialists are trying to take over our lives!"

Jobal shook her head, but Padmé continued, "Even Bail Organa lives on Coruscant full-time. And he has a better reason to stay home on Alderaan than I do. I mean, he has a sick wife to take care of and a whole kingdom to lead."

"We all know you don't have to _live_ on Coruscant, Padmé." Sola said as she took a bite of her roast bantha.

Padmé huffed, "I do. So does Anakin, he has his whole _life_ on Coruscant."

Anakin gave Padmé a look, annoyed that she dragged him into this argument.

Sola laughed, "Oh, Anakin, isn't it true that there are hundreds of Jedi stationed _all_ around the galaxy?"

"Well, yes—"

"I'm sure," Sola continued, "that the people of Naboo would be more than _ecstatic_ if Anakin Skywalker was to take up a permanent residence on the planet."

Padmé shook her head, "Anakin is on the Council, he must be able to attend meetings and—"

"And what don't we have the HoloNet for?" Ruwee exclaimed. "Anakin could participate in every meeting via HoloNet! It's not like it hasn't been done before."

Padmé balled her fists on the table, "You always do this to me; you always find a way to just rile me up and—"

Sola rolled her eyes, "Oh, you know we're right! That's why you're so _riled up_, because we're right and you know it! You know that everything bad that has ever happened to you has happened on Coruscant, right?"

Padmé frowned.

There was an awkward silence at the table, so Darred decided to fill it by redirecting the course of the conversation.

"We were told that we could not allow you to go snowboarding with us," Darred said to Anakin, smiling.

Anakin chuckled, "I guess that's good for all of you, so I won't make you look bad."

Darred laughed, and so did his eldest daughter Ryoo. She, being the sportier one of the family, was always a competitor to Anakin when they participated in seasonal sports. Anakin, of course, always won.

"What else can I beat Ryoo at, then?" Anakin asked jokingly to his wife, the sarcasm in his voice very apparent to all the others.

Padmé bit her lip, seriously thinking.

Ryoo chuckled, "We could have a snowball fight?"

Anakin smiled, "Of course, snowball fights wouldn't be too—"

Padmé shook her head, "Absolutely not. A snowball could hit you too hard in the stomach, and then—"

The uproar of dissent interrupted Padmé, who was taken aback by all the opposition.

"Mom!" Leia whined, "that's so uncool!"

Sola nodded, "Yes, even _I_ think that you're pushing it."

Padmé shrugged innocently, "He's still not fully healed, I don't want another incident."

"I'm sure a snowball fight isn't enough to bring down the great Anakin Skywalker." Ryoo said with optimum sarcasm. Everyone laughed.

Anakin laughed, too. He looked over at his flustered wife and gave her a smile, "I'm sure she means well. Don't you, Padmé?"

Padmé rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Anakin. If you want to end up in the hospital during your stay here then be my guest."

Everyone else laughed, and Anakin just shook his head as he smiled.

* * *

><p>The dinner conversations eventually circled around Luke again, though he really liked it when it didn't.<p>

After the meal, or _feast_, the whole family split into three factions: the men, the women, and the "kids."

Ryoo and Pooja took the twins upstairs where they could chat and play board games in one of the several bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Padmé had to entertain the thousands of questions presented by her mother—who had just met Luke for the first time ever an hour ago (since he was three). They were in the living room, sipping hot chocolate and whatnot.

Jobal was shaking her head disappointedly, "I can't believe you never told anybody."

Padmé threw her head back in annoyance, "How many times have I said I'm sorry!"

Jobal pouted, "He didn't seem to like talking to us."

Padmé laughed bitterly, "He's always like that. Trust me, he was acting completely normal…for him."

Sola chuckled, "Perhaps he'll warm up to us better once we go up to the lake country and the kids can all play."

"Does he like hanging out with only girls?" Jobal asked worriedly, "I feel bad that he's the only boy here, and…"

Padmé shook her head, "He loves spending time with the girls! Well, he doesn't show it very well, but I know he does. Besides, once we all go up to the lake, he won't feel terribly alone because I know there's a lot of boys that live up there and he can make friends with them. Besides, he'll have Anakin. Anakin is a kid at heart, and he'll play all those silly little games with the kids."

Jobal laughed, but Sola just looked concerned. "Are you sure? Luke didn't seem to be on very good terms with Anakin this evening…"

Jobal frowned and looked at her eldest daughter, "What are you talking about? Luke was practically clinging onto Anakin like a wet napkin."

Sola laughed at the simile, but Padmé just bit her lip. "Luke is typically more comfortable around Anakin, only because he spends all his time with Anakin at the Jedi Temple. However, lately they have been arguing a lot."

"Arguing about what?" Jobal asked, completely naïve about the whole relationship between her grandson and her Jedi son-in-law.

Padmé just shrugged, "A lot of things… Ever since the whole incident with Anakin's stabbing… It's just a lot…"

Sola shook her head, "I still don't fully understand what all happened to Ani."

Padmé sighed, "Well, you know, he was…stabbed."

Jobal nodded, "By Darth Vader."

The other two women looked at her, and Jobal just shrugged, "Leia told me."

Padmé nodded and Sola just frowned, "Darth Vader is a Sith Lord, right? The enemy of the Jedi."

"Yes—"

Sola continued, "Is he the same Vader that ran for president a year after the Clone Wars began—leading the Socialist Revolution on Corellia?"

Padmé sighed and looked away, "Yes."

Jobal raised her eyebrows, "And he's a Sith?"

Padmé shook her head, "He was an undercover Sith, Mom. And he deceived me... I thought he was an honest man—a man who cared about his people."

"And then he kidnaps your son and stabs your husband," Jobal said bitterly. "What's new?"

* * *

><p>Ruwee Naberrie, Darred Janren, and Anakin Skywalker were all sitting at the cleared-out dining room table playing sabacc, as per usual during these holiday gatherings.<p>

As they played against each other, the topic of the conversation (and the whole night) revolved around Luke.

"So what does he do with you?" Darred asked, "Does he train?"

Anakin shook his head, "He's not allowed. Er, well, he _wasn't_ allowed. Once the new year starts however, I'll begin training him."

"Wow," Ruwee said, "So he'll be a Jedi?"

Anakin nodded, unable to help the smile that crossed his lips.

"He seems like an interesting boy." Darred stated, "But he's very quiet."

Anakin chuckled, "He doesn't talk much. He's a lot better once you really get to know him though. I suppose he is just shy…"

The other men laughed. "Well, why don't you call him down here and let him play with us?" Ruwee asked. "I'm sure he'd like that better than just hanging out with a bunch of girls."

Anakin chuckled, "Alright."

Anakin got up from the table, slowly so that he wouldn't get a cramp. He went upstairs to the girls' room and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" He heard his daughter's voice ring above all the laughter.

The door swished open and Anakin stepped inside. The twins and his nieces were sprawled across the floor, huddled around a board game.

"Luke," Anakin said, and his son looked up. "Your presence is requested downstairs."

"Yes!" Ryoo said happily.

Anakin gave her an amused look, "You seem happy that he's leaving."

The three girls laughed as Luke got up and joined Anakin at the door.

"It's not like that," Ryoo explained, "It's just that Luke was winning… And I don't like it when other people win."

Luke chuckled and Anakin smiled as he opened the door for him and his son. The two exited and walked down the hallway over to the stairs.

"Your grandfather and uncle want you to play sabacc with them." Anakin told Luke.

Luke crinkled his nose, "Gee, I don't know…"

"It'll be fun," Anakin reassured. "Just make sure you don't win or anything. It wouldn't make me look good if my son won a sabacc game against three older men."

Luke shrugged, "Whatever."

The two arrived to the dining room and approached the table.

"Hello, Luke!" Ruwee said excitedly.

Luke gave a small smile and sat down. Anakin sat down next to him and began dealing the cards.

"Have you ever played this before?" Darred asked.

"Like once or twice," Luke lied.

Once all the cards were dealt, the playing began and the four boys stared at their cards in utter concentration.

"Let me warn you, Luke," Darred said as he studied his cards closely, "I have never lost a game."

"Psh," Anakin scoffed, "You've lost every game you ever played against me."

Darred gave Anakin a dirty look, "That's because you cheat."

Anakin laughed but didn't deny it. He just shrugged, "I don't cheat, I use my natural skills to help me perform better than you."

Darred rolled his eyes and Ruwee laughed. Luke just smiled, totally understanding what Anakin just said.

* * *

><p>It was a long game; halfway through, Ruwee "Bombed Out" and had to exit the game. He watched as Darred, Anakin, and Luke all battled for the pure sabacc.<p>

Ruwee looked at the three boys as they all studied the cards in their hands.

"So who won?"

Anakin bit his lip and Darred scratched his chin.

"Come on," Ruwee said impatiently, "I'm hanging on to the edge of my seat here."

Anakin put his cards down, revealing them to Ruwee, Darred, and Luke. They all peered in to get a better look.

Ruwee clapped his hands, "There you go! Negative 23, a pure sabacc!"

Darred chuckled deeply, "Positive 23 always triumphs over negative 23." He put his own cards down to show the others.

Anakin's eyebrows shot up, surprised that he didn't win. "But I always win!"

Darred laughed in his face, "Not today, Master Jedi!"

"What about you, Luke?" Ruwee asked in a nicer tone, preparing to find that the young boy failed miserably at reaching a pure sabacc.

Luke mustered up an innocent pout, "I guess I couldn't get a pure sabacc after all."

Luke put his cards down at the table and the other three men looked down at them.

Anakin's expression was frozen. Ruwee had to rub his eyes to make sure that he was seeing what he was actually seeing.

"Is that—Is _that?"_

Luke chuckled darkly, "Is that _what?_"

The tone in Luke's voice made it clear to everyone else that the young boy was not as innocent as he came off as (although Anakin already knew that). Luke was practically goading the others to say it…

"The Idiot's Array," Ruwee said, with amazement in his voice.

Sure enough, Luke had three cards in his hand: The Idiot card, a Two of the Staves suit, and a Three of the Staves suit. The Idiot card, being worth zero, allowed for the value of the cards to literally be read as 023—trumping the pure sabacc of 23.

Darred slammed his hands on the table and stood up, "_What?_ Are you telling me I just lost to a thirteen year-old?!"

Luke laughed and so did Ruwee, but Anakin and Darred couldn't find any amusement in this.

Anakin ran a hand through his hair, "Luke, I told you not to win."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Luke defended, still laughing.

Darred pointed at Luke, "You cheated, didn't you?"

Luke couldn't even answer because he was laughing so hard.

Darred pointed at Anakin next, "You helped him cheat, didn't you Skywalker?"

At this point, Anakin began laughing too. Seeing Darred so riled up over this was enough to make anyone laugh. Poor Darred was so used to losing against Anakin… The one time he thought he won, he actually lost to Anakin's _son_.

Darred sat back down and took a deep breath. He looked around at the three other players laughing around him and figured it was all a pretty funny situation actually. There was no harm done, and no one lost any money because they didn't bet with real credits. Darred sat back in his chair and began laughing too.

Luke's laughter died and he looked around at the three older men who had laughed along with him. Perhaps this vacation wouldn't be too bad after all.


	54. Chapter 54

**Alright... I know MANY of you are mad at me for not posting this chapter for several inexcusable months, but I was going through a really difficult time and I just lost all insentive to write. I'm not saying that it's all better now, but hopefully I can dedicate more time to writing now that school is over and I won't have as many distractions. **

**As usual, with the start of the summer my updates shall (hopefully) be coming much more frequently. Once I get back into full-swing of writing, I'll start posting at least once a week (if not more). **

**This particular chapter is long and uneventful...for which I apologize. Once the Skywalker family depart from Naboo, the action will significantly pick up. I have really exciting plans for this story and I hope you all stick around to find out. **

**But before you get on with your reading, I would like to make one correction to the story... I believe that in previous chapters I made Ryoo and Pooja to seem much older than they actually are. In reality, they should be about 22 and 20 (respectively) while Luke and Leia are 13. Hopefully this clears up any confusion.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR<strong>

That night, as Anakin lied in bed next to his wife in her old room, he thought about what this vacation could mean to Luke.

"You know what I realized?" Anakin asked.

Padmé put the datapad from which she was reading down on the nightstand next to her, "What?"

"Luke is not a very mushy person."

Padmé raised an eyebrow, "Mushy as in squishy? Or mushy as in sentimental?"

Anakin laughed, "Mushy as in… he doesn't like it when people hug him and tell him they love him."

Padmé laughed out loud, "And you just now realized this? I realized this a minute after I met him."

Anakin laughed too, remembering the awkward moment when he first brought Luke to 500 Republica.

"I think he would be a lot more comfortable if people just stopped mentioning Coruscant and Vader." Anakin continued after his laughter died out.

Padmé nodded, "It should all be over soon… But Mother is having some people over tomorrow night."

Anakin groaned.

"Hopefully we'll all be making it up to the lake after tomorrow though."

Anakin nodded, "Good."

Padmé smiled, "Have you thought about what you're getting the twins for their fourteenth birthday?"

Anakin almost fell out of bed, "_What?_"

"You forgot, didn't you?"

Anakin ran a hand through his hair, "Oh no, I _completely_ forgot…"

Padmé lied back and smiled distantly, "How could you forget? This is the first birthday they'll be celebrating together in ten years."

Anakin smiled with her, "That's true, huh?"

Padmé smiled sadly, "Poor Leia, we were never really able to ever give her a real birthday, because it was always a painful reminder..."

Anakin nodded, "I wonder if Luke even knows his real birthday."

There was a pause of silence for a moment, and then Padmé spoke. "I got them both comlinks. I think they would really come in handy if anything happened."

Anakin nodded, "Good idea. I'll have to think of something to get them."

* * *

><p>Leia was never one to really enjoy sleeping in, even during the winter break. She was up with the sun every morning, and today was no different.<p>

The vacation looked like it would be the best one yet so far, only judging by last night. The news of Luke's win in the sabacc game reached the whole household, and the three men who played against him were all shamed.

Luke and Leia shared a room with two twin beds while Ryoo and Pooja had to take the room with only one queen-sized bed, sharing it.

This made Ryoo and Pooja grumble, but Grandma Jobal said, "The twin beds should be reserved for the twins."

It was now still morning, and still too early for anyone to be awake except for Leia, Pooja, Padmé, Jobal, and Anakin.

The five of them were all sitting in the living room with hot chocolates and blankets and the HoloNews on.

Pooja groaned, "I wish everyone else would just wake up already. It's so _boring_."

Leia nodded in agreement.

The two girls were sitting together on a loveseat while their grandmother sat on an armchair next to them. Across from them, Anakin and Padmé lounged on the couch.

"I thought you said Luke wakes up early." Pooja said to Leia.

Leia shrugged, "He usually does. He can go _days_ without sleeping. And he usually wakes up about the same time I do."

Anakin scoffed, "Yeah, but other times he sleeps in until dinner."

Everyone else laughed.

"True," Leia acquiesced.

Pooja got up, "Okay, well let's try to wake him up."

Padmé frowned, "I don't think you should do that, Pooja."

Pooja shrugged, "Why not? He won't mind. We'll wake Ryoo up, too."

Leia jumped up, "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Luke was sleeping on his belly with his face buried under the pillow and his blanket over his head.<p>

Leia and Pooja came into the room. Pooja opened the window blinds while Leia sat on Luke's bed and shook his back, "Wakey, wakey!"

Luke tugged on the covers even harder, sheilding his squinted eyes from the sun's sudden blast.

"Go… away," He moaned, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Leia looked up to Pooja dejectedly, as if this whole idea was useless.

Pooja just shrugged, "Let's try Ryoo."

They went over to the next room and found Ryoo sleeping in a similar position.

"Get up." Pooja said, slapping her sister on the butt.

Ryoo didn't even groan or yell or anything. She layed there like a dead person.

The two girls gave up and went back to the living room shamefully.

"Do you smell that?" Anakin asked as he saw the girls come in.

"Smell what?" Padmé asked.

"That smell…" Anakin said, "the smell of…_failure_."

Jobal and Padmé laughed while Pooja and Leia fumed in their seats.

"Not funny, Dad."

"Yeah, not cool." Pooja agreed.

Anakin shrugged, "I don't know what you were thinking, trying to get Ryoo up at this hour."

Jobal chuckled, "If she could, she'd hibernate all winter."

* * *

><p>The rest of the family awoke at a more reasonable hour… 0900 hours.<p>

Even Luke got up to join them for breakfast. As everyone was sitting down, Sola became annoyed.

"Has anyone seen Ryoo?"

Leia nodded, "She's still sleeping."

Sola's eyebrows rose, "What? No one woke her up?"

Leia bit her lip, "We _tried_…"

As Sola was about to get up from her seat at the table, a zombie walked into the dining room.

Ryoo took her seat. Her tangled, bushy hair wrapped around her face. Her pajamas were still on, and they looked messy and wrinkled. Her face was pale and her eyes were squinted.

"Good morning, beautiful." Pooja said to her sister.

Ryoo rolled her eyes and attempted to brush her tousled hair out of her eyes, "Whatever."

They began eating, and Leia looked between Ryoo and Pooja, just studying them.

"What?" Ryoo asked.

Leia shrugged, "Nothing. There's just a stark contrast between you two right now. Pooja's all dressed up and ready to go, and you're…ah…"

Ryoo looked over at her sister, "Yeah, why are you all dressed, Pooj?"

Pooja shrugged, "What, aren't I allowed to dress up if I want?"

Ryoo snickered, "What's the occasion?"

Sola frowned, "We have the Numans coming over, and Pooja's more appropriately dressed than you are, Ryoo."

Padmé smiled, "Oh, I remember them! They have two kids, don't they?"

Leia thought hard for a moment, and then gasped. "Pooja!"

Pooja glared at Leia, warning her not to say another word.

Sola looked between Pooja and Leia confusedly, "What, what's going on?"

Ryoo gasped too, figuring out what it was. "Pooja has a boyfriend!"

Pooja's face turned really red. She scoffed, "No I don't!"

Ryoo chuckled deeply, "Oh yes you do, missy. Don't lie to us."

Pooja put on a stern face, "No, I do_ not_."

Darred tilted his head, "Pooja, no boyfriends until you're thirty. That was the deal."

"I don't have a boyfriend!" Pooja exclaimed, frazzled by all of this attention at breakfast.

Anakin looked over at Darred with an amused look, "No boyfriends until you're thirty?"

Darred shrugged, "It's a reasonable requirement."

Anakin chuckled and looked over at Padmé, "I'm pretty sure I was nineteen when we got married."

Darred and Ryoo laughed. Ruwee frowned, "But Padmé is older than you, so—"

"I was twenty-four." Padmé said, "Not _thirty_."

"Yeah, Dad." Pooja said half-heartedly. "Aunt Padmé had two kids by the time she was thirty!"

"Psh," Darred scoffed, "They're twins it doesn't count."

Pooja rolled her eyes, "You and Mom were definitely not thirty when you got married."

Darred shrugged, "Times were different back then."

Pooja laughed, "Good one. Look, you're the reason that Ryoo is almost twenty-three and never had a boyfriend."

Ryoo and Darred both frowned.

"It's not my fault!"

"Who said I've never had a boyfriend?"

Pooja rolled her eyes, "Then why are you making fun of me for having a boyfriend?"

Ryoo's eyebrows slowly rose, "You just admitted it, you _do_ have a boyfriend!"

Pooja paused for a moment, and then closed her eyes and groaned.

Leia smiled broadly, "Is it the Numan boy?"

Ryoo gasped, "Hakeem Numan?!"

Pooja rolled her eyes, "Maybe."

Leia clapped enthusiastically, "Oh my Force, I'm so excited!"

Anakin gave his daughter a dirty look, "Leia, how many times have I told you not to say 'oh my Force'?"

Everyone at the table laughed and Leia just reddened.

"Also," Anakin continued, "don't get too excited. You're not allowed to have a boyfriend until you're Pooja's age."

Leia rolled her eyes while everyone at the table chuckled again.

"Whatever."

* * *

><p>Finnick and Kynda Numan were well-known in Theed for their wealth and generous philanthropy. Finnick Numan came from a long line of men and women who served as members of Naboo's royal court. He met his wife Kynda at an annual meeting on Coruscant for philanthropists from all around the galaxy. Kynda, too, came from a very wealthy family back from her own homeworld.<p>

They now lived in Theed with their two children, and they were very close friends to the Naberries.

Hakeem was the oldest child and only son of the Numan family, twenty years old. His younger sister, Noura, was seventeen.

Ryoo hated these gatherings; her mother always tried forcing her into some uncomfortabe dress, and Ryoo decided she just couldn't take it anymore. She convinced Luke to sneak out with her to avoid the Numan visit. Luke happily agreed.

As the rest of the family prepared for their guests' arrival, Luke and Ryoo dressed warmly with their coats and gloves and snuck out the back door.

* * *

><p>Leia was dressed in one of her best dresses, as instructed by her mother. As she was combing her hair, Padmé walked into her room.<p>

"Is Luke here?"

Leia looked behind her, expecting to see her brother in their shared room. "Uh, no."

Padmé frowned and left the bedroom.

She went into her and Anakin's room and found her husband brushing his hair with his fingers. Padmé rolled her eyes, _like father like daughter_.

Anakin frowned and turned to Padmé, "Hey!"

Padmé just rolled her eyes and ignored him. "Have you seen Luke?"

Anakin shrugged, "Why do you need him?"

Padmé sighed, "I need to make sure he's wearing the clothes I picked out for him."

Anakin smiled, "Maybe he's hiding from you then."

Padmé groaned and left the room.

"I'm sure you'll find him once the Numans arrive!" Anakin called after her.

Padmé shook her head to herself, "Yes, and by then it will be too late to change."

* * *

><p>Ryoo and Luke made it all the way to the other side of Theed. The suburbs were more crowded and less well-off than the Naberrie's side of town.<p>

The houses were closer together, and they looked visibly older than the Naberrie's neihborhood. Small shops and shady nooks scattered the area. Old-fashioned laundry lines hung from the upper story balconies. Children ran around through the crowded lanes. Assorted yells and loud noises rang through the streets. Luke smiled; this was _his_ kind of hood.

Ryoo walked right beside him, her eyes fixed at a townhouse at the end of the road.

"Who are we going to see?" Luke asked.

"Just some old college buddies." Ryoo smiled. "That house down there is the home of my closest friend, Lenna."

As soon as she said it, a young tom-boyish woman stepped out on the balcony of that house. Luke and Ryoo walked over to her.

"Ryoo!" Lenna exclaimed. She ran down the steps of her home and tackled Ryoo with a hug.

Ryoo chuckled and hugged her back, "Jeez, don't act like you missed me so much. We saw each other last week."

Lenna let go and pouted at her friend, "It was a long week."

Ryoo laughed and put an arm around Luke, "Have you met my cousin Luke?"

Lenna's eyebrows shot up, "No! Hello, Luke."

Luke took a moment to study his cousin's friend. She was relatiely tall—the same height as Ryoo. She had dirty blonde hair tied in the back with a ponytail. She looked like the epitome of a sports girl with her ragtag sweatpants and sneakers (a style of clothing generally frowned upon by other higher-class Nubian women). He smiled, "Hello."

Lenna looked over at Ryoo, "Since when do you have another cousin?"

Ryoo hesitated, "He doesn't live here, he lives on Coruscant."

Lenna nodded, "Gotcha."

Ryoo looked around at the neighborhood, "Where is everyone?"

"We're all heading over to the smashpit." Lenna said as she began walking further more down the street.

Ryoo and Luke followed behind, and Luke gave his cousin a questioning look.

"What's a smashpit?"

Lenna looked over at Luke and smiled, "Oh yeah, you're not a Theed native."

Ryoo laughed, "the smashpit is like a slang term that we use to call our field. The field where we play smashball."

Luke chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Lenna raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Luke shrugged, "Nothing."

Lenna smiled broadly, feeling enticed. "No really, what is it?"

Luke shook his head, "Nothing!"

Ryoo smiled too, looking at her younger cousin. "You think there's something funny about smashball?"

Luke shook his head, smiling. "No, it's just a stupid game, that's all."

Lenna nodded slowly, "Uh huh, and why's that?"

"It's just…stupid." Luke shrugged, "It's for kids."

Ryoo chuckled and shook her head slowly, looking away from Luke. "Not here, it isn't."

Lenna nodded, "The smashball we play here is…intense."

"What, you have your own rules?" Luke asked.

Ryoo and Lenna nodded devilishly, "Oh yeah…"

* * *

><p>Leia had become increasingly worried over the sudden disapearance of her cousin and twin brother. The Numan family had been at her grandparents' household for more than half an hour now, and Luke and Ryoo were nowhere to be found.<p>

Leia, Pooja, and the Numan children Hakeem and Noura were hanging out on the balcony while all the rest of the adults were inside.

"Where is Ryoo?" Pooja asked impatiently.

"Maybe she is hiding from us," Noura suggested.

"Why would she do that?" Pooja asked, unconvinced.

Noura shrugged, "We should look for them."

Leia hopped off her seat in agreeance, "Yes, let's go find them Noura."

Hakeem got up from his seat too, but Noura shook her head. "Just me and Leia. If we're not back in an hour, then it's your job to come look for us."

Pooja rolled her eyes, "You're making this more dramatic than it needs to be."

Noura and Leia laughed and then stepped out of the balcony. Pooja and Hakeem watched the two younger girls run down the street until they were out of sight.

* * *

><p>Ryoo, Lenna, and Luke arrived at the smashpit, which turned out to look like a really run-down field with two markers at either side to signify the endpoints. There were steel bleachers on the edges, rusty from standing out in the rain for several years. Even the field itself looked really weatherd, its grass gone to be more of a field of mud now.<p>

There was a group of older kids standing around at the center of the field. The three walked up to them.

"Hey look, Lenna's here." One of the older girls said.

"Lenna, Ryoo, great, you made it!" Another boy said, "And you brought an extra player, fantastic!"

Ryoo chuckled, "Guys, this is my cousin Luke."

Luke gave a small smile.

"Luke," Ryoo said, preparing to introduce him to her friends. She pointed to the two people who spoke, "This is Rittah Crowsboro, and this is Emre Kormanski."

Rittah smiled and Emre nodded his head.

Ryoo whispered into Luke's ear, "He has this on/off relationship with Lenna."

Lenna rolled her eyes, having heard what Ryoo said. "Emre, did you bring Niko?"

"Niko is his younger brother," Ryoo explained to Luke, "He's about your age, or older."

A shorter version of the tall black-haired, brown-eyed Emre appeared and gave a nod towards Luke. He couldn't shake off how much he resembled Jared.

Ryoo continued introducing her friends, "These are Kamal and Rania, they're brother and sister." She pointed at the two tallest bunch of the group, Kamal sporting a neon jacket and long blonde hair tied in a ponytail at the back. Rania, on the other hand, had dark brown hair braided at the side of her face.

"Isn't your sister here, too?" Lenna asked.

Rania nodded, "Katia is going to be one of the referees."

Ryoo smiled at Luke, "Katia is the oldest of the Buras siblings, and she looks like Rania's identical twin. You won't miss her."

"Besides Luke and Kamal," Emre began, speaking to Lenna, "the only other guy on your team will be Anwar."

Ryoo pointed at a muscular boy wearing white shorts on the other side of the field, "That's Anwar. He likes making vulgar jokes."

Lenna frowned at Emre, "Who all is on your team, then?"

Emre bit his lip, thinking. "We have Niko, Rittah, Rahat, Jidah, Mejda, and Myla."

Lenna raised an eyebrow, "That's seven people in all. We only have six."

As Lenna and Emre continued their argument over teams, Ryoo continued showing Luke her friends.

"Rahat is actually the son of one of my dad's best friends." Ryoo explained, "He's the boy standing next to Anwar over there. His younger sister Sidra usually referees the games with Katia."

Luke nodded, taking this all in.

"Jidah and Mejda are siblings, with Jidah one year older than her sister. She was in my economics class, actually. She's really nice."

"We're not playing with uneven teams, Kormanski!" Lenna raised her voice.

"Chill, chill!" Emre chuckled, "We'll find you another player."

"Do that, or we'll have to ask Myla to sit out." Lenna threatened.

Ryoo gasped, "Oh yeah, Myla." She turned to Luke again, "Myla is that really snarky bitch who's in the same grade as Rittah and Rania at the University. She's that girl over there with the long dark hair."

Luke turned to look. Myla turned around, having been in conversation with Anwar and Rahat. She had the pompous look on her face, instantly reminding Luke of his surrogate sister Aria.

"The reason you guys always win is because you cheat by forming uneven teams!" Lenna said, pointing her finger into Emre's chest to emphasize her point.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Emre said, not sounding sorry at all.

"Did I hear something about uneven teams?" A girl's voice shouted from the other side of the field.

Everyone turned around and saw two girls walking up to the group. One of them was tall, and the other one was…_Leia_.

"Leia?" Luke said in disebelief.

"_Noura?_" Ryoo said, with even more uncertainty.

"If you need an extra player, I'm your girl!" Noura giggled.

Lenna clapped her hands, "Perfect!"

Leia gave her brother a smile and then went to go sit on the bleachers next to some other kids that Luke didn't know.

Emre dragged out the ball bag, and the two refs took out their whistles.

All the players were now on the field, and the spectators were on the bleachers.

"Alright, I want a nice, safe game from all of you today." Katia said, holding one of the balls in her hands. "We don't want a repeat of last time."

Luke frowned, "What happened last time?" he asked quietly.

Lenna let out a loud laugh, tilting her head back. Ryoo just rolled her eyes and leaned into Luke's ear, "Anwar tackled Emre to the ground and threw a rock at his head. We had to take him to the trauma center at the medcenter."

Luke frowned, "There's tackling involved in this game?"

Ryoo's jaw dropped, "Oh my, I totally forgot that you don't know how to play this version."

Katia overheard Ryoo's last statement. "Maybe I should review the rules of the game?"

"Yes, please do." Emre said, looking over at Anwar. "Please review the section of the rules that clearly state that _no_ hard substances may be used to pelt at the other players—"

"Just let it go already!" Anwar exploded, exasperated. The friends all chuckled.

Katia put her hands up, "Alright, settle down! Here are the rules: you must be able to transfer the ball from the middle of the field at its starting position to one of the nets at either end the field to score a goal. Each net shall have a goalie, and only the goalies may hold the ball with their hands inside their respective sections."

Luke frowned, "Sections?"

Katia nodded, "The field is equally divided up into three sections: the blue section, the green section, and the gold section. The gold section is in the middle, and it is commonly referred to as no-man's land. Any player may hold the ball with his or her hands while on no-man's land, and this is often where most of the tackling occurs."

Emre snorted, "Unless your name is Anwar and you tackle people wherever the hell you want—"

"_Furthermore_," Katia cut in, "when you are in the blue section or the green section, you must kick the ball or find any other way to transport it without using your arms." She turnd to face the rest of the players now, "The captains of the blue and green teams will be Lenna and Emre, respectively."

Lenna nodded, "I'm going to play defense with Ryoo and Rania, and Noura will be goalie. That means Kamal, Anwar, and Luke will play offense."

Emre smiled cheekily at Lenna and then turned to his own team members. "I'll play offense, along with Rittah and Niko. Myla's the goalie, and the defense players will be Rahat, Jidah, and Mejda."

Lenna and Emre shook hands and then went to their positions on the field. The rest followed suit and Katia stood at the center of the field with the ball under her arm and her whistle in her teeth.

The offense players spread out around the referee, eager to catch the ball once it was thrown into the air.

Luke, who literally had no idea how this game worked, was actually excited to play. This was definitely going to be the highlight of the whole trip.

Katia held the ball firmly in her grasp, preparing to toss it into the air. Once she blew the whistle, the game officially began.

* * *

><p>The adults at the Naberrie household were all sitting around the living room, mindlessly chatting about this and that—a conversation topic that bored Anakin out of his mind.<p>

At the moment they were talking about the Numan's generous philanthropy. Finnick and Kynda, no matter how generous they were, always basked in the attention of others and constantly bragged about how much they helped various homeless shelters and non-profit organizations to thrive.

"It's the least I can do," Kynda said , putting on her most innocent smile. "My heart aches when I hear the stories of families who spend the winter out on the streets."

Padmé frowned, "But that's not really an issue anymore on Naboo. Or, at least in Theed it's not."

Kynda nodded, "Thankfully, no. But other places in the galaxy suffer from the worst spells of poverty. And I'm not just talking about the savage worlds."

Anakin, never really a fan of Kynda Numan, balled his fists up on his lap and pursed his lips. _He_ grew up on a "savage" world.

Finnick nodded, "Last month we were on a week-long vacation at our home on Corellia—"

"You have a home on Corellia?" Anakin interrupted suddenly.

Padmé gave him a stern look, but Finnick thought nothing of it.

"Of course, Kynda grew up there."

Anakin's eyebrows skyrocketed but said nothing more. No wonder he never liked Kynda…

Sola smiled, "Oh yes, I remember you telling us this before. Do you like it there?"

Kynda let out an airy chuckle, "It's a beautiful planet. The majority of the world is all rural villages and farmlands. However, ever since the revolution, the smaller cities boomed into great metropolises. The industrialization of Corellia tripled in the past fifteen years."

"Because of Vader?" Anakin asked, the words leaving his lips before he could even think about them. Padmé cringed at the name and gave her husband a stern look, as if such a name was taboo to even utter.

Of course, the Numans saw nothing wrong. To the average Corellian, Malek Vader was a household name and a hero.

Kynda actually smiled at the mention of her planet's former president. "Vader indeed instigated much of Corellia's development. He was a strong advocate of a self-dependent economy, and encouraged much of the manufacturing jobs of the Core Worlds region to relocate to Corellia by lowering taxes."

Sola tilted her head, "But Corellia is a socialist government, is it not?"

Kynda nodded.

"So how did he promote the development of large industries? Big companies would never want to relocate to an area with so many government regulations on businesses and wages."

Padmé gave bitter chuckle, "He had his ways. I remember, he used to preach socialism to the rest of us. He found a way to allow the small businesses on Corellia to thrive. You're right, the large business tycoons fled before they lost everything, but the rest of Corellia prospered. Corellia holds the record for having one of the lowest income inequalities among citizens. Only about a tenth of the population lives under the poverty line. Vader's administration actually worked."

Anakin just raised an eyebrow at Padmé, "How do you know so much?"

Padmé shrugged.

Kynda smiled and picked up her cup of caf, "Well it's all true. I remember when the revolution occurred. The Corellian government was weak, and the president had no power over anyone with a few million credits in their pockets. Vader's presidency was the golden age on Corellia."

Finnick chuckled, "You make him sound like a god."

Kynda grinned, "He pretty much—_ah!_"

Before she could even finish her sentence, the cup of caf exploded in her hand.

Jobal gasped and jumped from her seat, grabbing a napkin to help Kynda clean up the caf off her blouse.

Finnick bent over and picked up the small shards of glass that used to be a cup, "Kynda, what did you do?!"

Padmé bit her lip and glanced over at Anakin, who was running a hand through his hair.

The look on Kynda's face was astounded, "I have no idea, I must have been gripping the glass too firmly or something!"

Anakin stood up from his seat.

"Where are you going, Ani?" Padmé asked.

Ruwee and Darred side glanced at each other, both knowing that it was Anakin who had subconsiously causd the glass to explode in Kynda's grasp.

Anakin shrugged and left the room.

* * *

><p>A very worried Pooja paced around the balcony when Anakin found her.<p>

"What's the matter?" Anakin asked.

Pooja bit her lip, "They're not back yet."

"Who?" Anakin asked, immediately fearing the worst.

Hakeem pursed his lips, "Well… Luke and Ryoo were missing ever since we got here. And Leia and my sister went out to find them an hour ago, and they're still not back."

Anakin internally groaned, "Where did they go?"

"No idea." Pooja admitted.

Anakin expelled a deep breath and then went back inside. He headed for the door.

Pooja and Hakeem quickly followed behind.

"Where are you going?" Pooja asked.

"To find them." Anakin said resignedly.

* * *

><p>The crowd watching this smashball game was unbelievable. Leia now stood on the bleachers beside dozens of other people, all cheering for different teams. People were standing all around the field, as the space on the bleachers was diminishing.<p>

"Get the ball, get the ball!"

"Look, he's right behind you!"

"Don't let him snatch the ball from right under you!"

"Go Blue!"

Leia laughed at all of the hysteria.

"Hey look!" A kid next to Leia yelled, "Isn't that Anakin Skywalker?!"

Everyone who heard the kid turned their head to look in the direction he was pointing at. Sure enough, that was Anakin standing next to Pooja and Hakeem. Leia's eyes widened and she leapt off the bleachers.

Leia ran over to where her father was standing on the other side of the field. He looked confused, as if he had no idea where he was.

"Dad!" Leia yelled, and Anakin swiftly turned around to face her.

"Dad," Leia repeated, "what are you doing here?"

"I came here to look for you and your…" Anakin trailed off, looking at the field. "Brother?"

Leia quickly looked to see what Anakin was staring at.

Off on the field, Luke was running with the ball in his hand. He must have sensed his sister staring at him intently from the distance, because he looked over at her and then saw Anakin. His run slowed down to a jog and he frowned.

Anakin folded his arms, giving Luke his sternest look.

Luke almost slowed down to a full stop; but then, out of nowhere, one of the older boys on the other team tackled him, forcefully shoving Luke to the ground. Quickly thereafter, another one of the boys from the other team landed on top of them.

The look on Anakin's face was priceless, and Leia let out a huge gasp.

Katia came running to the scene, furiously blowing her whistle. The other boys got off Luke, who appeared to still be holding the ball despite the aggressive efforts to force it out of his hands. Luke got up, brushed some of the dirt and mud off his pants—earning an assortment of chuckles from the spectators—and then passed the ball to one of his teammates.

Leia couldn't help but laugh, and even Anakin cracked a smile.

This trip was turning out to be a lot more promising than first imagined.


	55. Chapter 55

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE**

Padmé was not entirely happy with Anakin's decision to allow the children to stay at the ball field while she waited anxiously back at home, wondering where in the world her twins were.

When they returned it was late in the day and the sun had already set. The Numans had left as soon as their daughter was returned to them, promising to visit the Naberries again after the New Year.

Luke and Ryoo—covered in mud and sweat after several vigorous games of extreme smashball—were immediately sent to the refreshers to get cleaned up before dinner. Jobal and Sola prepared the food while Anakin and Darred set the table.

"It's a good thing Luke is warming up to us," Darred said to his brother-in-law, "I think he actually likes his stay here."

Anakin chuckled, "I think he likes it here more than Coruscant."

"More of a reason for you to move back." Sola said, joining the conversation as she stepped into the dining room to deliver a plate of steaming hot food to the table.

"Mmm," Darred closed his eyes, inhaling the aroma. "Bantha roast. My favorite."

Members of the extended family gradually took their places at the table, waiting for the others before they began eating. The last to join were Luke and Ryoo.

"Finally," Pooja exclaimed, annoyed with her sister for her actions earlier today.

Ryoo paid her no mind and immediately set out to pile food on her plate. Luke followed suit as he realized he was famished from the day's activities.

"There's going to be a severe snow storm tomorrow night." Ruwee said, starting the conversation of the dinner. "If we want to arrive at the lake house in one piece before the sun sets, our best bet is to leave at dawn."

Ryoo let out an audible groan.

"What now, Ryoo?" Pooja asked, annoyed.

"We have to wake up early?" Ryoo complained.

Ruwee just chuckled without answering.

* * *

><p>The next few days were like nothing Luke had ever experienced. The lake house was a white wonderland. The large estate's rolling green fields were covered with snow all over. The kids ended up doing everything Leia had talked about at dinner that one night: skiing, snowboarding, and ice-skating on the lake.<p>

The Naberrie estate at the lake was wide and spacious, so any neighbors that lived in the area were far and spread-out. Nevertheless, this didn't stop Luke and Ryoo from organizing the biggest snowball battle Varykino has ever seen. There were at least a dozen people on each team, including parents and adults. The rivaling "armies" built forts out of snow and pelted each other with the best crafted ice balls each team could make.

Luke couldn't think of a time he had ever been happier.

* * *

><p>The sun peeped through the curtains at the window, filling the spacious room that Luke had all to himself with the early light of the morning. It had been two days that the Skywalker-Naberrie clan had been at Lake Varykino. Luke sat up in his bed, looking at the covered window. He stretched out his hand and waved it, using the Force to draw the curtains to the side. The sun was still rising, casting an orange glow that melted into the fading nighttime's purple.<p>

Luke threw his legs over the side of the bed and got up, heading towards the refresher. Once he got ready and everything, he came back out to his bedroom to find Anakin waiting for him, sitting on his bed. He looked up at his son and patted to a seat next to him on the bed.

"Good morning, Luke."

Luke sat down next to his father, "What are you doing up so early?"

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "I'm always up this early. What are _you_ doing up so early?"

Luke shrugged and looked out at the window.

After a moment of silence, Anakin spoke again. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

He was talking about Naboo's natural beauty. Luke only shrugged again.

"I guess you're more of a city person though, huh?" Anakin said quietly.

"Naboo is very…nice." Luke responded awkwardly, uncomfortable with all this small-talk.

"Don't worry," Anakin said, more cheerfully. "We'll be back on Coruscant soon enough, and then you can start your training."

Luke's eyebrows shot up and he looked up at his father, his eyes angry. "I told you," he said in a low voice, "I'm not becoming a Jedi."

Anakin took a deep breath and looked away, pursing his lips sternly. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter."

His tone was cold. Luke just scowled at him and jumped off of the bed, turning to Anakin. "I won't. I'll put up a fight, anything, to resist you. I won't become a Jedi. I, I can't."

Anakin shot up from the bed too, walking up closer to his son so that he was towering over him.

"Oh yeah?" he goaded, getting frustrated. "You'd rather be a Sith instead?"

"Why does it always have to be one or the other?!" Luke asked, exasperated. "Isn't there such a thing as being neutral?"

"No! Luke, listen…" Anakin said, putting his hands on his son's shoulders as he bored into his eyes.

"Why do you think Vader did what he did?"

Luke frowned, looking up into Anakin's eyes.

"Why do you think he took you away from us? Did you think it was coincidental? Did you think you were just chosen at random?"

Luke's frown deepened, "_No_—"

"Of course not!" Anakin said, letting go of his grasp on Luke. "You were chosen because of _me!_ He took you because of _me_, because of your _genes_. Luke, you were born special. Vader knew this and he didn't want you to be trained by me, as a Jedi. He knew you'd be a threat."

Luke looked away from Anakin, still scowling.

Anakin's voice became softer, "He was more concerned with removing you from me than he was bent on training you as his apprentice."

Luke took a deep breath and looked out of the window again. He wished Anakin would just go away already. Luke made it clear that he didn't want to be a Jedi. Everything Anakin was telling him now only made Luke feel worse.

Anakin ran a hand through his hair and looked down, sighing. His tone became softer, "Listen, Luke, I know nothing I say makes it better. But I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry I couldn't fix it when I had the chance. This is all my fault."

Luke continued looking out the window, a trace of his scowl still in his eyes.

Anakin patted Luke's back. Luke watched him as he left his room, but Anakin turned back around before going out the door, "By the way, happy birthday."

* * *

><p>Luke was very much surprised with Anakin's last comment.<p>

He was always aware of when his birthday came around, though he often tried to forget about it. Birthdays were nothing more than an insignificant reminder that he had spent another full year living in his own personal hell. The best present he probably ever received was on the twelfth anniversary of his birth into this world, a lovely broken arm courtesy of Lord Vader.

Now Luke was fourteen, and though his twelve-year-old days were not too far behind him, they felt like light-years away.

Everywhere he turned, family members came to kiss and hug him and wish him a wonderful birthday.

He didn't understand why everyone was making such a big deal about his and Leia's birthday. Leia received all this attention as if it was expected, but Luke thought it was just out of the ordinary.

Perhaps it was the fact that he had grown up with an unconventional family. But then again, was Luke's family ever worth the title of 'family'? All his life, Luke had only his father as his familial pivot; everyone else left and changed throughout the years. From the furthest back he could he remember, his "mother" figure was Ysanne Isard, Director of Intelligence who remained on the Death Star with him during Luke's earlier years. After that, he was deemed old enough to start living on Corellia. (Luke realized, of course, that Vader hadn't brought the six year-old Luke to Corellia because it was time to train, but because the search for him must have been winding down). On Corellia, Luke lived with Vader whenever he was home (which was still often while he was president) and Natasi Daala, as she was the "mother" figure to Jared and Aria. Needless to say, these sorts of people were the _last_ to participate in traditional family rituals and celebrations.

Various family members presented the twins with presents—the oddest part of the whole "birthday celebration." Why did someone have to be awarded _presents_ for simply reaching another checkpoint in his life?

Aunt Sola gave Leia a formal invitation to meet with the Queen of Naboo while Darred covertly slipped Luke a data chip containing the secret dates and places for all the illegal sabacc tournaments on Coruscant.

"I use this whenever I'm visiting and need to satiate my desire for gambling. I think you'll make a lot of good money at these games."

Pooja got Leia a wide assortment of dresses and other girly objects and whatnot that caused her to squeal in delight.

Ryoo—like her father—had to give Luke's present in secret as it would probably upset his conservative mother. She gave him a whole collection of some of the most violent video games that he never even heard about.

"They work on any regular data pad," Ryoo explained. Luke just grinned.

But his favorite present must have been the one his grandparents had gotten him. Ruwee and Jobal both decided to get the twins a pair of swoop bikes. Their hope was that this would encourage the twins to visit Naboo more frequently, as a pair of swoop bikes would be waiting for their use at the lake house at Varykino. This definitely did encourage Luke to want to come back…

Finally the twins' parents got them the latest comlink devices for their own personal use.

"It's for emergencies," Padmé explained.

Anakin rolled his eyes, "It's for sending messages to your friends during school."

Luke had to admit, no matter how weird this whole "birthday party" was, it was still pretty fun.

* * *

><p>As the night was winding down, Luke returned back to his room to get ready for bed.<p>

A knock at the door interrupted him.

Luke looked up and frowned, confused, as Anakin walked in.

Anakin walked in, smiling at his son as if he was sad about something.

"Sit down, Luke." Anakin gestured for him as he sat down on the bed as he did earlier that morning.

He clasped his hands on his lap, looking down at them. "I just wanted to…apologize for being so hard on you."

Luke frowned, not expecting this. He expected Anakin to come in and try to talk him into Jedi training again.

"It's not your fault that things are the way they are—it's mine. I was young and careless, I was a bad father… and I still am."

"I don't think you're a bad father," Luke said quietly.

"Nonetheless," Anakin smiled, "I just wanted to give you something that you might need."

Luke frowned again and looked up at Anakin with questioning eyes.

"It doesn't matter to me what you are, Luke," Anakin tried to explain, "I know that you are an exceptionally talented Force user, but that doesn't mean I can force you into becoming a Jedi."

Luke looked down at his own hands, actually feeling guilty for giving Anakin so much trouble about Jedi training.

"But Jedi or not," Anakin continued, "you still need to have a way to defend yourself if Jared or Vader try to corner you again."

Luke raised an eyebrow as Anakin reached for his lightsaber.

"After Windu confiscated your lightsaber, he told me you weren't allowed to build another one, but he didn't say you couldn't _have_ another one."

Luke watched, awe-struck, as Anakin took his own prized weapon off his belt and handed it to Luke.

"I want you to have mine." Anakin said, looking at Luke very seriously.

Luke was at a loss for words, "B-But you need it!"

Anakin smiled, "I'm already in the process of building another one."

"But what if something happens before you can finish!"

Anakin chuckled, patting his hand softly over his injured abdominal. "It seems as if you can protect me better with a lightsaber than I can."

Luke's mouth hung open, watching the lightsaber in Anakin's outstretched hand.

This was Anakin's _lightsaber_. _The_ Anakin Skywalker. Son or no son, Anakin was giving _Luke_ his lightsaber! This was the weapon he used to slay Sith Lords and evil villains, the weapon that he used to defend himself from every blaster bolt and weapon's fire during the Clone Wars and any other attack, this was the weapon that he used to fight off Darth Vader… Without this weapon, Anakin was nothing. The most important symbol of a Jedi was his lightsaber. This weapon was his life.

Slowly, Anakin put the lightsaber in Luke's reluctant hands.

"It's yours."

Luke stared at it in awe as if he had never held a lightsaber before.

He now felt guilty for all the times he ever took his old weapon for granted. He never really thought of it as an extension of his own arm, the way his old master tried to teach him. In fits of anger, Luke often took the offending weapon and threw it out a window, letting the glass shatter to the ground at the collision. Of course, he'd go back and retrieve it later—wherever it had fallen—but not because he felt sorry for his actions. To Luke, the lightsaber was always just a tool. Now, as he held the cold hilt of his father's most prized possession, he finally understood how wrong he was.

"I'll train with you." Luke conceded, barely whispering the words.

"What?" Anakin said, unsure if his ears were deceiving him.

Luke nodded, building up the courage. The courage he needed to finally stand up to Vader—the courage he could only attain by officially joining the Jedi Order.

"I want to be a Jedi."

Anakin was completely speechless.

"Wh-What? You will?!"

He jumped off the bed and grabbed Luke into an enormous bear hug.

"I knew you'd come to your senses!" Anakin grinned, squishing his son in between his arms.

"Can't—breathe—" Luke choked out.

"Sorry." Anakin smiled, setting his son down. He patted his shoulder.

Luke sighed and looked back down at the weapon in his hand, "So that's it? All I need is your lightsaber and then I can become a Jedi?"

Anakin looked down, frowning. "It's a little more complicated. The Council opposes your training, just as they opposed mine—"

Luke frowned, "They opposed your—?"

Anakin nodded, interrupting. "Yes, and they'll do all they can to try to prove to me that you're a lost cause, too dangerous to be trained. We need to prove them wrong."

Luke nodded, "I see."

Anakin smiled encouragingly, "You can do it, though. I have faith in you. You are a Skywalker, after all."

He patted Luke's shoulder one last time and left the bedroom.

Luke just looked back down at the lightsaber he still held in his hands and ignited it, watching as the blue blade emitted from the hilt of the weapon.

His first Jedi lightsaber.

He was a Skywalker _after_ all.

* * *

><p><strong>Remember how after Luke stole that comlink I told you guys that that was the end of "part 1"? Yeah, I didn't know what I was talking about back then. *This* is the end of part 1. <strong>

**After much planning, I realized that this story will be split into three even parts. The first part was all about Luke's transition to the Skywalker family, the second part will encompass Jedi-training (as well as further development of Darth Vader's agenda), and the third part will most likely occur during the young-adult stages of Luke-and-friends during the great Galactic conflict between good and evil (because at this point war is inevitable).**

**I'm very excited to begin writing about Luke's adventures during his Jedi training, hope you guys will like it!**


	56. Chapter 56

Just wanted to make a small correction... Last chapter when I said "three even parts" to this story, I didn't literally mean that each part would be 55 chapters! Yikes! I hope we won't even reach 100! Nevertheless, this is the unofficial start of part two. And when I say unofficial, I just mean that this chapter is short and (for lack of better words) crappy.

I also wanted to make a statement about how this is like the two-year anniversary of this fic! Two years ago today I posted the first chapter. Goooood times.

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX<strong>

The Naberries were especially miserable when the time came for the Skywalkers to go back home to Coruscant. No one wanted to let go of Luke so soon after they finally met him again. Anakin, however, was as anxious as ever to get back to the galactic capital—to begin Luke's Jedi training.

Life quickly went back to the hum drum routine of a Jedi Master and Senator couple. Anakin was all but ready to get back to business, as his wound gradually healed and his pain eased. His overly-tender and loving wife could no longer find any excuse to stay home with her reviving husband. Padmé could not escape any confrontation at the Senate for much longer. There was too much waiting to happen…

"Padmé!"

Padmé snapped out of her daze and straightened herself in her seat. She was sitting behind her grand mahogany desk in her public office at the Executive Offices Building. Looking up she found her old friend and smiled.

"Bail, what a pleasant surprise."

Bail Organa chuckled, but the joy didn't reach his eyes. He came to sit in one of the chairs in front of his colleague's desk. "I hope your trip to Naboo was delightful."

"It was…" Padmé smiled at the thought, unable to choose the right words, "it was very nice. I enjoyed it."

"A good escape?" Bail chuckled.

Padmé shook her head, "You have no idea…"

Bail clapped his hands together and stood up, "Well, it's a busy day, must get back to my—"

"Excuse me?" A knock was heard at the door.

Bail—interrupted mid-speech by the bodiless voice behind him—frowned and turned around. Padmé too got out of her seat, "Come in."

The voice belonged to a man whom Padmé once trusted. He came into the room and stood in the doorway.

Bail and Padmé both looked at him in silence.

Firmus Piett clasped his hands together and pursed his lips awkwardly, "I can feel the tension in the air."

Padmé took a step closer but Bail put an arm in front of her.

Piett put his hands up in a yielding manner. "I mean no harm here, I just wanted to explain myself to you before you heard it from another source."

"What," Padmé sneered, "that you've been playing double agent to the devil himself this whole time?"

Piett frowned, "Now, now, my old friend—"

"You were never my friend!" Padmé cut him off, stepping closer to the mole against Bail's protests. "You used me, you spied on me!"

"I never meant to hurt you!"

Padmé gasped, shocked with his gall to come up with such a lie. Firmus Piett—her lifelong friend in the Senate, one of the only few she could ever trust—had the audacity to tell her that he never meant to hurt her!

The next thing she did was an action she never imagined herself doing in a hundred years.

She slapped him.

She slapped him across the face with such force that his entire head went spinning and he lost his balance.

She smiled unrepentantly at him, the palm of her right hand stinging with triumph.

Piett took a moment to regain posture. He looked back at Padmé, all sense of civility between them diminished. "I'll have you two know that I signed the papers this morning. I officially joined the Socialist Party, and the planet of Axxila did along with me."

Without another word, he turned and left through the double doors of Padmé Amidala's office.

Padmé shook her head and turned back to face Bail, who still remained standing near her desk. He was laughing.

"I can't wait until you tell Anakin about this, Padmé. I didn't know you had that in you."

* * *

><p>Luke didn't know what Anakin had up his sleeve. Right now his father was talking—no, plotting—with his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke was left to wait outside the High Council chamber doors, nonchalantly wondering if his Force-forsaken training would ever actually begin. A part of him—however small—feared that Anakin's training would not amount to Vader's (no matter how vigorous or life-draining it might have been). At least Vader made Luke strong…what if Anakin couldn't do the same?<p>

Little did Luke know, his mind would constantly revolve around the glory days of Vader's tutelage. In Luke's mind, Anakin Skywalker was a valiant hero and prodigious Jedi. But for some reason, heroes could never be as good as villains.

"Are you Luke Skywalker?"

Luke snapped out of his ponderings and noticed a boy—probably about the same age as him—standing right in front of him.

"How long have you been standing there?" Luke narrowed his eyes at the rather short brunette boy.

The boy smiled admiringly, "You're _Luke Skywalker_, _you_ should be able to tell me!"

Luke continued eyeing the boy very suspiciously. He was dressed in normal Jedi attire, and a Padawan braid hung from behind his right ear. Luke knew the boy shouldn't be dangerous, but then why didn't he notice him standing right in front of him? It's not like Luke was lost out in the endless space of his own thoughts... He shuddered to think that his once-refined sensing abilities lost their sharpness.

"What do you want?" Luke snapped at the boy, now annoyed with his own incapability to feel the presence of a mere Padawan boy.

The boy didn't seem fazed, as he continued smiling. "My name is Corran Horn, I heard that Master Skywalker was going to begin training you as a Jedi," the Corran boy bowed his head, "I just wanted to welcome you to the Order."

Luke rolled his eyes, doubting that such an unorthodox welcome was shared by many others of the Order. Luke didn't like how this boy was acting so friendly with him. He narrowed his eyes at Corran, "No one ever said I was joining the order."

This finally seemed to weaken Corran's smile. "Oh, well either way, if you ever need anything, you can usually find me trailing behind Master Secura or pigging out in the mess hall—"

"Master Secura?" Luke interrupted, "as in Aayla Secura?"

Corran nodded like a grinning idiot.

This somehow heightened Luke's respect for this Corran boy. If he had a master like Aayla Secura...

"I don't know what you know about her," Corran said, "but she's a great master."

Luke mentally scoffed. He knew a _lot_ about Aayla Secura. Not all of them good... But then again, Luke's understandings of good and bad were slightly skewed from everybody else's…

"Of course, well, I mean no disrespect to my master," Corran fumbled through his words awkwardly, "but I can't imagine what it must feel like to have _Anakin Skywalker_ as your mentor, let alone your father!"

Luke rolled his eyes, "Wanna switch?"

Corran chuckled nervously, probably fantasizing a life with Anakin Skywalker as his teacher, as many of the other Padawans often did.

"Well, I'll just leave you alone now," Corran smiled. "I'm sure you have a busy life, out there slaying monsters and going on dangerous adventures and whatnot."

_Hah_, Luke scoffed. _I wish_.

Corran left and soon after Anakin and Obi-Wan came out of the council chamber.

Anakin rubbed his hands together excitedly and smiled, "Ready?"

Just before Luke could answer, Obi-Wan interrupted.

"Anakin, I don't know what you're thinking. This boy can't train as a Jedi!"

Both Anakin and Luke looked up at the old Jedi Master in shock.

Obi-Wan smiled, "Not without looking like a proper Padawan, at least."

* * *

><p>Obi-Wan made Luke get a whole wardrobe of Padawan attire. Whenever Luke tried to pick out something black, Obi-Wan would just hold out his hand and shake his head.<p>

"No blacks."

"Why not?" Luke would whine.

"Your father wears enough black for the both of you. No blacks."

Luke hated the idea that he had to wear these drab robes, not to mention that they couldn't be black! He stuck to gray, as he would go nowhere near to brown and light beige. (This turned out to be rather difficult as most of the clothes Obi-Wan found for Luke were hand-me-downs).

Luke crinkled his nose in disgust.

Hand-me-downs.

For all of Luke's life he had whatever he wanted no matter what the price was. Vader got him the best of everything because he had an endless supply of money… Plus, Luke wasn't overly against the idea of stealing either.

Now Luke was being brought to a world that shunned worldly possessions and wore the lamest garments Luke ever laid eyes on. Getting the braid was the last straw.

"I'm not getting the braid." Luke said.

"You have to get the braid," Anakin replied.

"No, I don't _have_ to do anything. It's enough I'm going through this stupid Jedi initiation with the clothes and the lightsaber and the other mindless Padawans. I'm not getting the kriffing braid too."

Anakin sighed, "What if I promise we won't cut your hair?"

Luke ran a hand through his unusually lengthy blonde hair nervously.

"No."

Anakin rolled his eyes, "You're such a girl."

* * *

><p>Luke absentmindedly played with his new lightsaber, now hanging by the hilt from his belt.<p>

He felt Anakin come up to him, "The day is still young. Do you want to go practice your new toy with me?"

Luke raised an eyebrow amusedly at his father. "But you don't have a lightsaber."

Anakin pulled out a long silver hilt from his sleeve, "Oh yes I do."

Luke's eyebrows popped up, "You finished it!"

Anakin chuckled and ignited it, "Blue and brand new."

Luke smiled, "Looks like you'll want to take it out for a test run."

Anakin shrugged, feigning non-interest. "I guess. But I think now is as good as a time as ever for you to finally show me what you got…"

Luke's eyes almost fell out from his head, "You wanna spar?!"

Anakin laughed, "No, no! What would the other Masters say if I let you duel me on your first day?"

Luke glowered at Anakin.

This only caused him to laugh harder and slap his son's back, "Come on, we'll start with the remotes."


	57. Chapter 57

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN**

Very quickly, Luke's training became tedious and boring. To his credit, Anakin was actually teaching Luke everything that other Padawans his age (and even older) were practicing. But the truth was that Luke was just too advanced. He mastered all of the remotes in less than two days, and he got bored of everything else Anakin's exercises had to offer.

"I don't know what to do," Anakin confided in his mentor, Obi-Wan. They were alone in the Council Chamber. Obi-Wan sat in his chair as Anakin paced around anxiously. "It's like he's all ready to face the Trials; there's nothing else to teach him!"

Obi-Wan chuckled, causing Anakin to scowl. "This isn't funny."

Obi-Wan's chuckle became full-out laughter, "You actually don't know how funny it is!"

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"You remind me so much of my own days trying to train you!"

Anakin frowned, "_Me?_ But I knew nothing about the Force before you trained me, it's completely different! Luke spent his whole life training under that son of a—"

"_Anakin_," Obi-Wan interrupted, "it's the same. Vader couldn't have trained Luke more than what you're thinking. Luke is just naturally skilled. He's just like you."

Anakin folded his arms across his chest and raised a brow.

Obi-Wan nodded and got up from his seat, "It's true; I see a lot of you in him. He's a quick learner and likes to act as if he's all ready to move on to the next level."

Anakin pursed his lips, "So what do I do?"

Obi-Wan smiled, "Training Luke will be nothing like training Ahsoka or Nathan."

Anakin cringed at his late apprentice's name but Obi-Wan continued, "He already knows the techniques, now all he needs is the experience."

"Experience?" Anakin repeated, thinking for a moment. "You want me to… take him out on real missions?"

"Not only that," Obi-Wan answered, "you have to teach him patience, too. He may know how to wield a lightsaber, but does he really know how to use it? Does he know how to listen to the Force? Can he make the right decisions in a split-second?"

Anakin stopped pacing, "I see."

"You also have to teach him teamwork." Obi-Wan said as an afterthought.

"What?"

Obi-Wan nodded, "As a Sith apprentice, Luke was probably taught under the Rule of Two dogma—that there is no one else but master and apprentice."

"I don't see how Vader followed that rule very well, as he trained not one, but _three_ apprentices."

Obi-Wan shrugged, "I think he trained Jared and Aria as extras; Luke was his real apprentice."

Anakin exhaled, but before he could say anything else, Ahsoka barged into the chamber. "Jerome and Luke are at it again!"

Anakin and Obi-Wan both gave each other quick glances before breaking out behind Ahsoka down to the training rooms.

* * *

><p><em>*A little earlier*<em>

Luke was just minding his own business, hanging out in one of the training rooms with his new friend Corran Horn, before the voice of an unpleasant figure echoed behind him.

"Well if it isn't Luke Skywalker and his new sidekick, A.K.A. one of the only Corellians in our class."

Luke and Corran whipped around to see Jerome walking towards them.

"Listen, Landski, I don't care if you hate my guts, but Corran did nothing wrong."

Landski snorted, "Please, he clings onto you like a wet napkin." He looked over at Corran, who was now fuming. "You were such a good kid, Corran… before you turned over to the Dark Side, literally, and began fraternizing with the enemy."

That was the last straw. Luke pushed Corran aside and menacingly walked towards their perpetrator. This only made Jerome laugh like a madman.

"Ooh, are we Darth Angry now?"

Before Luke could get any closer to him, Hanalei rushed in-between them.

"Both of you, stop!"

"No, Hanalei," Jerome said, "Blondie has something to say. Why don't you say it, Blondie?"

"You're going to eat your words." Luke said in a low voice. Only Hanalei's arm stretched out in front of him kept him from leaping onto Jerome and tearing him apart.

At this point, almost everyone in the practice room had dropped what they were doing to watch the almost-fight that was brewing.

"You wanna go, Skywalker?!" Jerome stomped forward, sounding crazier than usual.

"HAH!" Luke chortled, "You don't wanna fight me, Landski!"

Hanalei now turned around and faced her friend, "Jerome, stop! Be the bigger person, be the _bigger_ person!"

"Get out of my way, Hanalei!" Jerome forcefully pushed her aside.

Hanalei was at a loss for words. Corran, who was still nearby, came to her rescue. "Come on, Hanalei, we have to tell someone!"

Other Padawans in the practice room were thinking along the same lines, however they had different intentions.

* * *

><p>Corran ran out of the training room and ran into his friend, Nick.<p>

"Nick, Nick! I'm so glad I found you!" Corran was panting.

"Whoa, what's the matter?" The older Jedi Padawan asked.

"Do you know where Master Skywalker is? Luke and Jerome are gonna fight!"

Nick's jaw dropped, and shook his head. Corran soon ran off to find someone else, as Nick was apparently no help. But little did he know that Nick had just thought of the greatest idea ever. He ran to the second-biggest training room in the temple (as Luke and Jerome were potentially going to fight in the biggest). The door opened and he ran right in.

Some of the Jedi stopped what they were doing and looked at Nick questionably, wondering why he was in such a hurry.

"Everyone, to the main training room!" Nick yelled as loud as he could.

"What is it, Nick?"

"Nick, what's going on?"

Even the Jedi Knights and Masters who were in the room began getting concerned.

"Skywalker vs. Landski! SPREAD THE NEWS!"

Nick ran out of the room and complete chaos ensued. Everyone was rushing out to tell their friends and grab a good spot with a view in Luke and Jerome's practice center.

"_Skywalker vs. Landski_" was the cry that rang through the Temple halls.

Everyone rushed to circle around the two teenage boys who were about to fight.

Jerome grabbed two practice lightsabers; but before he could throw one at Luke, Luke shook his hands.

"I don't use practice lightsabers."

Jerome raised his brows, but quickly shook it off as he watched Luke reach for his father's old lightsaber. Jerome did the same, grabbing his own.

"No turning back now." Jerome warned.

Luke said nothing, but held his lightsaber in both hands and ignited it.

The crowd gasped as they saw the blue blade emit from his hands. Jerome followed suit, igniting his own green-colored lightsaber.

They circled each other slowly at first. The room was dead quiet—everyone anticipating Luke and Jerome's moves.

"What are you waiting for, Landski?" Luke goaded, his eyes narrow and his voice low. "You have your lightsaber out. Go on, avenge your friend's death. I know that's why you're here."

Jerome roared and ran at Luke with his lightsaber held above his head, ready to attack his enemy.

Luke swiftly blocked his opponent's attack, and the fight began. They were swinging their lightsabers at each other with no mercy—both of them ready to kill.

The crowd roared with boos and cheers. They were decidedly split in half—some of them cheering for Luke, the others for Jerome. Others simply cheered in pure excitement, not caring who won. Corran and Hanalei stood at the sidelines completely horrified. What would the Masters say?

They didn't have to wonder any longer, because sure enough, the crowd began to part once Anakin Skywalker came in, flanked by Master Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano.

Luke and Jerome paid their mentors no heed and continued slashing their weapons at each other.

"Anakin, you have to stop this." Obi-Wan said quietly.

Anakin smiled and shook his head, "No, look at them! It's just a duel, there's no harm in it! You said it yourself, he needs more experience."

Ahsoka shook her head, "He'll get hurt!"

Anakin scoffed, "Luke? No way."

"I was talking about my Padawan." Ahsoka said coldly.

Anakin frowned and paid more attention to the duel.

It was true, both of them were swinging their weapons around a little too dangerously for a normal duel. They both aimed at each other's heads. Anakin suddenly remembered that Luke and Jerome hated each other. A lot.

All of a sudden, all Anakin could see was Darth Vader swinging his lightsaber around, trying to chop Anakin's own head off. Luke had his same technique.

Luke was pushing Jerome with his lightsaber, causing the Jedi Padawan to fall to the ground. Luke tried to use this opportunity to swing his lightsaber down at Jerome's legs, but his opponent was too quick and got up from the floor with a jump.

Jerome slashed his lightsaber furiously at Luke, and Luke blocked every swing. He ducked, jumped, and slid through his opponent's parted legs, turning around to strike Jerome in the back.

Landski was too slow, and Luke knocked the lightsaber right from his hand.

The crowd gasped again, and Jerome's lightsaber flew to Luke's outstretched hand.

Jerome tripped and fell on his knees, looking up at Luke horrified. Horrified that he lost to _him_.

Luke stood in front of Jerome for a moment, both lightsabers ignited in his hands. He inched up to Landski, and quietly said "Too bad you weren't there with him that day. I would have bested you both."

With that, he put his lightsaber away and threw Jerome's on the ground, turned and walked away. The crowd almost began to cheer before they saw Jerome get up from where he was sitting and run after Luke's turned back.

He flung himself over Luke's shoulders in a surprise-attack, and Luke retaliated by grabbing onto Jerome's arms and flipping him over his back in return. The audience roared with "ooh's" and "ah's," none of them expecting this turn of events. Jerome quickly got up again, and the two began throwing blows at each other in fury, dragging each other to the ground and punching each other in a mad rage.

Anakin and Obi-Wan rushed onto the scene, trying to pull the two boys apart.

Anakin grabbed onto his son, who was trying to wriggle free from his father's grasp. Jerome was literally being pulled away by both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka while throwing punches in the air.

Once Jerome was taken out of sight, Anakin released Luke, who stomped away in anger. His father quickly followed after him.

"What was that?" Anakin asked, the tone in his voice vehement.

Luke shrugged and continued walking away, trying to find a secluded area in the Temple.

Anakin wasn't about to let that happen and tugged on Luke's shoulder. "Look at me."

Luke whipped around, "_What_?"

"Luke, you cannot go around picking fights with the other Padawans. This has to stop!"

"He's the one who started it!" Luke shot back, "He came up to _me_."

"Look," Anakin said, in a calmer tone. "It's one thing to spar with a friend. It's completely different when you whip out your lightsaber and try killing another Padawan!"

Luke folded his arms and looked away, annoyed.

"You're one of us now, and you have to treat each Order member with respect." Anakin continued, "We don't want to give the other Jedi another reason to contest your training."

Luke scoffed, "What training? You haven't been teaching me _anything_."

Anakin straightened up and gave Luke a stern look. He might as well have said "_You're a worse teacher than Vader."_

He looked down, "I know. I'm working on that. It's just…hard. I've never trained someone who already knows what you know."

"So am I in some sort of trouble now?" Luke asked, his tone still angry.

Anakin sighed, "I don't know. Master Windu will probably have something to say about this."

* * *

><p>"Unbelievable."<p>

Luke and Jerome stood at the center of the High Council Chamber with Master Ahsoka standing by the door (as she was not a member of the council). Jerome looked down at the floor in shame, while Luke just glared at the Jedi Master in front of him with contempt, his arms folded across his chest.

"Unbelievable," Windu repeated.

No one dared to utter a single word.

"How old are you, Landski?" Windu asked, talking to Jerome as if he was a young schoolboy.

Jerome took a deep breath. "Sixteen."

"But you're turning seventeen soon, aren't you?"

"Yes, Master Windu."

"Does a seventeen year-old Jedi Padawan go around picking fights?"

"No, Master Windu."

"Is this how your mentor taught you?"

"No, Master Windu."

Windu pursed his lips and squinted his eyes, exposing the wrinkles on his aging face.

"Unbelievable," he repeated a third time, sitting back.

Master Yoda sat right next to him, not angry, but eyeing Luke with a curious eye.

"Everyone here knows you two hate each other. You've hated Skywalker since you first met him, even without knowing his checkered past."

Jerome's lips twitched and Luke's nostrils flared.

"You think we don't know what this fight was about?" Windu asked rhetorically, "Of course we do. It was about Nathan. Everything to you is about Nathan."

Jerome clenched his fists in a moment of flash anger at hearing his late best friend's name, but then quickly tried to calm himself as he remembered he was in the presence of very powerful Jedi.

"But you do not have the right to judge others, Jerome." Windu said finally.

Jerome looked up at Windu.

"He may have wronged," Windu said, "but that is not for you to decide. And you especially do not have the right to justify any of his wrongs. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Windu."

"You are dismissed."

Jerome gave a small bow and turned to meet his master, Ahsoka, at the chamber doors before exiting.

Now all eyes were on Luke.

Mace Windu stared at Luke for a long time before speaking. It was already obvious that Windu was going to be much harsher on Luke than he was on Jerome.

"Maybe your father didn't go over all the rules with you yet," Windu finally began, "but _killing_ is not something that we allow here."

Luke took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes down at Windu.

"But then again, being a Skywalker means having an apt for breaking the rules… I guess we can never be sure of your true intentions."

Luke glanced over at his father who was silently fuming in his chair, glaring at Windu.

Windu leaned forward and pointed his finger at Luke, "If you give me one more reason to believe that you're not fit to train as a Jedi, then I promise you, you will never find yourself within these walls again."

If it wouldn't disgrace Anakin so much, Luke would have exploded on Windu with some very colorful retorts. But he held back.

But as if on cue, Anakin stood up and walked over to Luke. He looked at Windu, "I think this meeting is over."

* * *

><p><strong>Again, I want to apologize for procrastinating so much on uploading this chapter. I haven't forgotten about any of you! I want to thank you all for the great reviews I got, they were a really inspiring motivation! I'm already in the process of finishing up the next chapter, so hopefully I'll have it up soon. Until next time..!<strong>


	58. Chapter 58

**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT**

Obi-Wan followed Luke and Anakin out of the Council chamber. They were heading straight home, but Obi-Wan still needed to talk to his closest friend.

"Why don't you come over?" Anakin asked, "Padmé would like seeing you when someone's life _isn't_ endangered."

Obi-Wan bit his lip, "I don't know…"

Anakin tilted his head and smiled, his blue eyes sparkling. "Come on, we can catch up!"

Obi-Wan chuckled, "Well, maybe for a little bit. I promised I'd come back and meditate with Hanalei later…"

Anakin smiled and put a hand on his mentor's shoulder, "Great."

* * *

><p>Padmé was just about to go downstairs when she saw Luke stomping up the stairs.<p>

"Hi, Luke, how was—"

He gave Padmé a glare and then went straight into his room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Padmé just frowned and continued going down the steps. Her face immediately brightened by seeing her husband's long-time friend.

"Obi-Wan!"

She greeted him with a hug.

"It's wonderful to see you Padmé, you look radiant."

Padmé chuckled and looked over at Anakin, "What's the matter with Luke?"

Anakin groaned and plopped down on of the couches. "Sit down."

* * *

><p>It wasn't sunset yet on Coruscant, but Luke liked to keep his blinds shut anyway. The only lights that illuminated his rooms escaped from the shield of the curtains over his windows and smuggled in through the cracks of the blinds.<p>

He lounged on his bed and kicked off his boots while reaching for his comlink. He connected to Han's frequency, and his best friend was soon on the other end.

_"Well how nice of you to call!"_ Luke heard Han's sarcastic voice.

Hearing his voice made him smile—or whatever Luke considers smiling to be for him.

"Sorry, I've been caught up with a lot of stuff lately."

_"Oh yeah, like what?"_

"Remember that kriff-tard Landski I told you about?"

_"Yeah, what about him?"_

"I totally beat him up today."

_"No way!"_

"We were in deep shit afterwards, but it was totally worth it."

Han laughed, _"Well, I have my own news too."_

"What is it?"

_"I was just accepted into the Naval Academy."_

Luke's eyes widened. It was a moment before he finally answered, "Th-That's great! I can't believe this…"

Han laughed on the other end, "_I know, right? Me, an officer? Hah!"_

Luke laughed too, "And in the Republic Navy…"

Han's laughter died out. "_Funny how fast things change."_

Luke silently agreed. "How'd you get the money to go?"

_"Did you forget that I'm the ward of a very rich and successful doctor?"_

"Doctor of what, again?"

_"Ah, who cares? Point is, she's getting me out of her hair and I get to spend time doing what I love."_

Luke envied his friend, getting to go off to train in the navy while Luke was stuck with mean Jedi Masters like Mace Windu. "How'd you get in, anyway? You're too young."

_"Not really. I'll be sixteen in a few months, and that's usually the age that they begin to recruit youngsters who know nothing about flying."_

Luke smiled, "You'll be top of the class."

"_You betcha! Hey, listen, I gotta go. I'm moving into my dorm in a few days, so we'll probably be able to see each other a lot more. The Academy is only a few blocks away from the Temple."_

"Yeah, that's true. See you around, Han."

_"Solo out."_

Luke put the comlink away, somehow feeling worse than he did before he decided to call Han. It was like everything was moving fast again, except it was all in the wrong direction.

* * *

><p>Padmé was shocked that her son could be so aggressive with other students at the Temple.<p>

"Ani, what are you going to do?"

Anakin rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head, "I don't know, what do you want me to do?"

Obi-Wan was sitting back on the armchair next to Anakin. He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "You need to talk to him."

Anakin snorted, "Well isn't that a fabulous idea! I haven't tried that one!"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "Not Luke, _Jerome_."

Anakin and Padmé both turned to look at Obi-Wan, frowning.

"Jerome?"

Obi-Wan nodded, his expression turning more serious. "I think he's in grave danger, Anakin."

Anakin stared at his friend, at a loss for words. He rubbed his eyes, "Don't be ridiculous, Obi-Wan."

"I'm not. And you can't say it's impossible, either." Obi-Wan said, looking at Anakin very seriously. "Because we both know that it's not."

* * *

><p>As the sun rose promisingly, gracing the Coruscanti sky with its early purple glow, Jerome could think of nothing but how Nathan was a morning person.<p>

He sat cross-legged on the floor of the Jedi Temple gardens, Jerome's favorite view of the sunrise—because it was _Nathan's_ favorite view of the sunrise.

"He'd be happy to see that you're keeping the tradition alive."

Jerome jumped, startled. He whipped around to find Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker walking up to him.

Just as Jerome was about to get up, Anakin sat down next to him.

Jerome was confused, looking over at the Jedi Master with defensive eyes. At one point in time, Master Skywalker was the mentor of his best friend. But now he was the mentor of his worst enemy.

"I guess even the sun has trouble getting out of bed in the morning," Anakin commented, observing the steady sunrise.

Jerome looked back over at the glowing sky, the purple thawing out to a warmer orange. He shrugged.

"Do you come out here on your own?"

Jerome shrugged again, "I guess."

Anakin smiled reminiscently, "Funny how that happens. I remember he'd drag you out of bed in the morning just to watch it with him."

"I still watch it with him every day." Jerome muttered coldly.

Anakin pursed his lips and looked down, speaking quietly. "You need to move on, Jerome."

The young boy didn't answer, but glared out at the sun instead.

"Attachment can lead you down a dark path."

Jerome snapped his head to Anakin, "You're one to talk!"

Jerome's eyes widened, and he looked away ashamed. "Sorry."

Anakin chuckled, "It's alright. It's actually nice to hear someone your age apologize for once."

Jerome huffed, shaking his head. So not only was Darth Blondie an evil psychopath, but he was an ungrateful little imp as well.

Anakin looked down on the floor, "I came here to talk to you about that, Jerome."

Jerome froze. Did Master Skywalker just hear…?

"I know you and Luke have your…_differences_." Anakin said awkwardly.

Jerome just glowered at the rising sun even more.

"Jerome, look at me."

He took a deep breath but complied.

Anakin studied the young Padawan for a moment. There was a time—a distant, far off time—that Jerome was a different person. Wherever Nathan was, he was. They were like best friends, brothers.

Jerome was once cheerful, and funny. Now he was gloomy and judgmental—jealous.

How was Anakin going to begin?

"You know I once had a friend…"

Jerome snorted and looked away back to the sun.

"What's funny?" Anakin asked defensively.

"You're _Anakin Skywalker_, I'm sure you had friends."

Anakin chuckled, not meaning to insult Jerome's intelligence. "No, I mean I had a very close friend. A _best friend_, you might say."

Jerome looked back at Anakin, returning his attention back to the Jedi Master's story.

Anakin gazed off to the sun, which was now set properly in the sky. "We trained together, we laughed together, we went on missions together. His master was Shaak Ti, once a very close friend of Master Kenobi's."

Anakin smiled at the memory, "Once we started a food fight in the cafeteria."

Jerome's eyes popped, "_You?_"

Anakin laughed, "Yeah, the Masters said that since we liked serving food so much, we should have cafeteria duty." He laughed again, "And we did! For a whole two months."

His laughter died out, and Jerome waited for the story to continue.

"What happened?"

Anakin's smile faded off into a grimace, "I'm not sure."

Jerome frowned, not understanding the point of this story.

"His attitude changed." Anakin started again, "He became resentful. It felt like we were constantly battling each other to be the best."

Jerome looked away, frowning deeper. He knew where Master Skywalker was going with this now.

"You know," Anakin continued, "you don't _have_ to be enemies. You and Luke could be really good friends if you tried."

Jerome shuddered at the very thought.

"I'm being serious." Anakin said, watching Jerome's reaction. "He's trying really hard to assimilate. Give him a chance."

Jerome didn't look at Anakin, so the Jedi Master felt it was best to leave now and allow Jerome some time to think about it. He turned around and began walking back inside.

"Wait," Jerome said suddenly, still sitting down in the same position.

"Whatever happened to your friend?"

Anakin reached the door and stopped, not looking back at Jerome.

"He became Darth Vader."


	59. Chapter 59

**CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE**

With Anakin's warning or without it, it was virtually impossible for Jerome to make peace with the blonde devil. And this had nothing to do with Jerome's own stubbornness…

The Padawans separated into two large factions ever since Jerome and Luke's smack-down the previous day.

"We call ourselves Team Sky," a young Padawan said in front of a large group of his friends. "In a moment, you will see Suen passing around blue bandanas. Please take one to pledge your allegiance to Luke Skywalker, our hero!"

The crowd cheered, and in the back of the room stood Corran and Luke, dumbfounded.

"Team Sky?" Luke repeated, watching as the crowd in the room grabbed those blue bandanas—signifying the color of Luke's lightsaber (and the actual sky, coincidentally)—and tied them around their belts, hair, and neck. Luke grabbed one and tied it around his arm.

Corran shook his head, laughing hysterically. "This is great. You have your own fan club!"

At a different end of the Jedi Temple, another sort of assembly was forming.

"This is the time to show the other Padawans that we will not allow an outsider to steal the glory of the Jedi Order!" A somewhat older speaker than the first said to the crowd.

They all cheered, however more uniformly than Team Sky had been.

"Team Land is named for the respectable Jedi Padawan who chose not to _hop on_ to the bandwagon and welcome the Sith learner so eagerly into our arms," the boy said, followed by a murmur of agreement from his friends.

He held up a green bandana, symbolizing Landski's own green lightsaber and the typical color associated with land. "These scarves will show your commitment to the traditional values of the Jedi Order!"

The crowd cheered.

"We condemn change!"

The crowd cheered louder, and Jerome joined in, tying his own bandana around his arm.

He refused to allow Master Skywalker—the father of the devil himself—to try to warp his mind even for a moment. How dare he compare Jerome to the Dark Lord of the Sith? If anything, Jerome represented the ideal Jedi—the _real_ Jedi. _Luke_ was the one hand-crafted by the Sith himself; Anakin Skywalker had no right to thrust that guilt onto Jerome.

* * *

><p>Luke was outside on the Temple grounds, receiving a visit from his best friend Han Solo.<p>

"It kills me to see you wearing non-black Jedi attire." Han commented.

"Shut up, Han."

They were sitting out in the gardens in one of the lower levels of the Temple outdoors.

"But really," Han said, "give me the dirt on this Landski kid."

Luke shrugged, "Oh, you know. He's trying to turn everyone against me, nothing new. He and his _posse_ are convinced that they are trying to preserve the 'old values' of the Jedi, and I'm just here to kriff it all up."

Han snorted, "But you have your own group of advent disciples, do you not?"

Luke smiled, "I guess. They're just a bunch of Skywalker fans, though. Jerome has his actual friends in on it."

Han shrugged, "Who needs them? Jedi are lame, they have no sense of humor."

"Exactly."

"No, you misunderstand me," Han said, his expression turning serious. "I was including you in that generalization."

Luke responded with a punch at Han's shoulder.

"Hey!" Han feigned pain and clutched his wound, "that's my salute arm!"

Luke rolled his eyes, "You are not even close to being a naval officer, I don't wanna hear it."

"Oh yeah?"

Luke ignored his friend and turned his attention to a woman walking up to the two.

"Luke!" Padmé smiled, walking at a quicker pace, "There you are!"

"What are you doing here," Luke said, his voice completely void of any emotion.

Han raised his eyebrows, surprised at his friend's blatant rude greeting. He pushed Luke away and held his hand out. Padmé raised her brows.

"I apologize for Luke's shameless lack of filial piety," Han said, causing both Luke and Padmé to drop their jaws in surprise. "My name is Han Solo."

Padmé took Han's hand shake and smiled. "Please, call me Padmé."

Han's smile broadened, "Can I call you Mrs. Skywalker instead?"

Padmé gave a surprised and somewhat nervous laugh, "No one really calls me that!"

Han tilted his head, "They should! You're married to Anakin Skywalker, aren't you?"

Padmé giggled, liking this Han fellow more by the minute.

"I just want to tell you that I think you're an amazing human being, and I'm so sorry your son doesn't appreciate that." Han said in his most sincere demeanor ever.

Luke's face completely reddened, and Padmé stared at Han as if he had sprouted wings.

"Don't take it personally, though," Han smiled, "Luke's always been an ungrateful, spoiled brat who never—"

"That's enough," Luke cut in, pushing Han off his mother.

Padmé just laughed, "Oh, don't worry Luke I know your friend here is only joking." She patted his shoulder. Luke only reddened more with hot anger as Han tried unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter.

"I never knew you had such amusing friends." Padmé remarked.

"Translation," Han said, "she never knew you had _any_ friends."

If looks could kill, Han's head would be spiked on a spear and placed atop the Jedi Temple.

Padmé only laughed, completely disregarding Luke's murderous stare.

"You should come over for dinner, Han!" Padmé smiled, "Poor Luke never has any friends over, and you seem like a very good influence on him!"

Han's expression was euphoric, and Luke was completely speechless. Han? A _good_ influence!

* * *

><p>Han pored over Luke's extravagant living room. "You always get the rich parents."<p>

Luke was going to ignore him…but then _she_ showed up.

Leia stood at the bottom of the stairs staring at Han. He smiled, "Well if it isn't my favorite Skywalker twin!"

Leia was shocked, "Why are you in my house?"

"Wouldn't we all like to know?" Luke muttered.

Han wasn't fazed, "Your mother took one look at me and realized I was the coolest person ever. Something that took Luke a good five years—"

For the second time that evening, Luke punched his friend in the arm.

Han cringed, "You'll have to pay for my medical bill."

Leia suppressed a smile with a dramatic roll of the eye and headed towards the kitchen.

"Is Dad coming for dinner?"

"No," Padmé said, setting the plates. "He's at a Council meeting."

"Sounds fun." Han commented.

"Ha!" Leia exclaimed, sitting down. "Fun if you're not being upbraided for starting fights."

Luke, completely used to having Leia make fun of him, as well as his best friend Han making fun of him, was uncomfortable with the fact that both of them were _together_ making fun of him.

Han laughed, having heard of Luke and Jerome's fight from Luke earlier before.

They all sat down, and Padmé joined them with the food.

"You have such a lovely home, Mrs. Skywalker."

Padmé giggled, "Thank you, Han."

Han shrugged, as if it was nothing. Luke just glared at him.

"You and a lot of other kids moved schools." Leia said, starting a conversation.

Han nodded, "Yeah, a lot of them got accepted into the naval academy, that's where we'll finish the rest of high school."

Padmé raised her eyebrows, impressed. "Good for you, Han."

Han grinned, basking in the attention of Luke's mother. Luke rolled his eyes and the rest of the meal consisted of Padmé asking Han an assortment of conversational questions with him answering as politely and humorously as he could. Leia chimed in several times, and Luke found himself staring at the clock, wondering when it would be time for Han to go.

* * *

><p>Han had an older friend from the Academy pick him up from Luke's house sometime after dinner, and Luke spent the rest of the night in his room.<p>

When Anakin came home, all his wife could talk about was Han Solo.

"It's amazing, I mean I knew he was from Corellia and all, but he's nothing like I would have ever imagined!"

Anakin shook his head, smiling. "He and Luke are very different people."

Padmé sighed, and Anakin could understand. But Padmé knew that she would rather have an unattached son than no son at all.

* * *

><p>Bright and early, Anakin was summoned back to the High Council Chambers once again.<p>

"We need to finish discussing our course of action in this situation," Mace Windu began.

Anakin sighed and tilted his head back in frustration.

Next to him his friend Aayla Secura chuckled and Windu raised an eyebrow. "Is impatience going to be all that you contribute to this meeting?"

Anakin gave him an annoyed look, "_No_."

Obi-Wan cut in, "Master Windu, we've been talking in circles for days now. We have no organized manner of dealing with this new Sith issue."

"I agree," Plo Koon chimed in, his tone completely serious, as if he shared Anakin's annoyance with these unproductive meetings. "We're not getting anything done, and we're wasting our time. The galaxy is in peril in more ways than one, but we have been pointing our whole attention to a blind spot. We've been neglecting our duties, and we haven't even been noticing our own problems within the Order."

Master Secura scoffed, "Are you talking about this whole Team Land versus Team Sky?"

Anakin whipped his head to look at Aayla, "What?"

Aayla just raised a playful eyebrow, "Haven't you heard? Your son and his nemesis Jerome Landski have split the Padawans in half."

"Honestly," Master Offee said disapprovingly, "how can we unite the galaxy if we can't keep our own young from clawing at each other's necks?"

"Well clearly that's a problem," the older Master Plo Koon said almost sarcastically, "A bunch of young kids picking sides in a childish rivalry between two arrogant teenage boys."

Anakin frowned, slightly insulted.

"Obviously someone's a little irate at the present moment," Master Offee stated, giving Plo Koon a look.

"Irate?" Master Koon repeated, "No, more like _exasperated_. You all have been bickering over Darth Vader for the past month with no progress whatsoever, completely neglecting the fact that rogue worlds in the Outer Rim are using this conflict to stage military coups and suspending human rights from their people—"

"Completely insignificant compared to the problem we have now," Master Mundi interrupted.

"Insignificant?" Plo Koon repeated, astounded. "Why, the purpose of the Jedi Order has always been to protect the peace around the galaxy—not to meddle with political issues."

"Oh, so a Sith Lord trying to take over the galaxy is now a political issue?" Mundi retorted, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Masters, please." Obi-Wan said, his voice raised. "This is a meeting for discussion, not arguments."

Master Ki-Adi Mundi shook his head, disappointed. He looked down at his lap, "Master Halcyon tried to warn us, years ago."

All members of the council looked at him, feeling ashamed.

"He spent the last years of his life trying to warn us about the changes on his home world, Corellia. But we disregarded it…as a _political_ issue."

Plo Koon sighed.

After a moment, Obi-Wan looked up. "I've been reading up on his work, chronicling the changes in Corellian society. He's made several brushes with Vader."

Anakin groaned and sat back in his chair, feeling guilty. Nejaa Halcyon was a friend that Anakin made in the Jedi Order that was like no other. He was the only other Jedi to know about his…_attachment_ problems…and be able to relate to him, in a time when Anakin could have been expelled for forming such a relation.

Halcyon died unexpectedly several years after Anakin came out to the galaxy, a death that was always a little too suspicious to be a "freak accident."

"I think we need to form some sort of committee." Master Windu said at last. "A committee that will fully specialize in tracking Darth Vader and all of his movements… Learning more about the Death Star… and the Socialists' plans with it."

A murmur of agreement wafted through the chamber.

"I'm putting Master Kenobi in charge of this committee, as he has been the one researching it the most thus far."

"Thank you, Master Windu," Obi-Wan smiled, "But I think this should be Anakin's job."

Everyone looked at Anakin, who was completely stunned, and Windu narrowed his eyes.

"It's clearly an issue concerning him more than any one of us." Obi-Wan explained, "I'll gladly join the committee and continue researching…but the fight against Darth Vader belongs to Anakin."

Anakin couldn't stop the grin that escaped his lips, feeling tremendously honored by his old master. Windu simply sighed, "Very well. Skywalker, assemble your team. Meanwhile, we'll get back to business."

* * *

><p>I would like to thank all the readers who take the time to review my story, you guys mean everything to me! It's encouraging to see my fans take a moment of their busy lives to tell me what they think about my writing or just the general story. I am always going to keep you guys in mind, because I know what it feels like when an author doesn't update a story in forever—it gets boring! You all are my inspiration, and I will work harder to get chapters out more frequently! But in the meantime, I would love it if all of you anonymous reviewers made an account so that I could reply to your reviews! A lot of the time you guys say really interesting stuff and I can't respond to it!<p>

But on another note...Can anyone tell me what's going on in the Clone Wars cartoon? I don't really have the time to watch it, but to be honest the only reason I added Ahsoka Tano in my fic was because she was Anakin's apprentice in the show. Did she like leave or something? And is Barriss Offee some sort of evil Jedi? Maybe I should look it up, but I'm not even sure if the series is over yet...ah so confusing!


	60. Chapter 60

**CHAPTER SIXTY**

As Anakin strode through the halls of the Temple, he began to see what Aayla was talking about.

Every now and then he saw a Padawan walk by with a green scarf tied around his or her midsection or around the neck, or a different Padawan with a blue bandana used as a headband or tied around the arm.

Anakin frowned, but kept walking on.

* * *

><p>Padmé invited Han Solo over for dinner…<em>again<em>.

He sat next to Padmé, like usual, as he laughed at everything she said to him. Luke couldn't believe his eyes—Han was actually flirting with his mother.

"Mrs. Skywalker, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met."

Padmé giggled, thinking Han was adorable. Luke stared at the two incredulously. Leia saw this and laughed, causing Luke to roll his eyes and focus more on his dinner.

"Oh, Han, you don't know what you're talking about!" Padmé said modestly.

Han shook his head, laughing. "No one I've ever met was a _queen_ when they were younger than I am right now."

Padmé laughed, waving him off.

Luke thought he'd go insane if he had to keep watching Han fawn over his mother and ask her for stories of her life. Who even does that? Luckily he heard Anakin's speeder park outside on the landing pad.

Han bit his lip to hide his smile; he realized he was sitting in the Jedi Master's seat next to his beautiful wife. And indeed, Anakin did notice this.

After coming in through the kitchen and saying hello to the rest of the family, Anakin folded his arms and gave Han an amused look.

"Good evening, Master Skywalker," Han flashed a grin.

Padmé and Leia chuckled. Anakin gave him his crooked smile, "Why good evening, Solo. I trust that you are not corrupting the rest of my family with your mischievousness."

Han feigned a defensive look, "Never! We were just discussing the importance of…the law."

Leia laughed, realizing Han had only been in contact with Anakin on two occasions—both times when he was engaged in some sort of criminal activity.

Anakin rolled his eyes, unable to wipe the amused smile off his face.

Han clapped his hands together and got up from his seat, "You know it's been a lovely dinner, Mrs. Skywalker."

Padmé tilted her head, smiling, "Oh, Han, you have to come by again!"

Han laughed and bent over to give the still-seated Padmé a hug, "Thanks for everything."

Luke stared at them, his arms folded across his chest and his eyes burning with jealousy. Anakin noticed this too.

"Do you want a ride home, Solo?"

Han raised his eyebrows at the Jedi Master, "Oh no, it's fine thanks. I was just gonna take a public transport."

Anakin waved his hand, "Nonsense, I'll take you."

Han smiled, muttering to himself about "Such nice people," which only made Padmé laugh. Anakin led Han over to his speeder outside and, after a moment's deliberation, Luke followed along, not wanting to leave Han and his father alone in a speeder ride.

Anakin caught onto this and turned around to face his son.

"No you need to spend more time with your mother. She's only known Han for a few days and she already thinks he likes her more than you do."

Luke stared at Anakin, shocked, before going back inside. Han waited until the speeder was up in the air before he spoke.

"It's not Luke's fault," Han said in a more serious tone, breaking the silence.

Anakin raised his eyebrows, still looking at the traffic in front of him as he spoke with Han. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Luke doesn't go out of his way to be a jerk to Padmé. We all grew up thinking our mothers left us for some selfish reason. But I always suspected that it hurt Luke more than he let on."

Anakin's expression became grim as he gripped onto the steering throttle. "How so."

Han shrugged, staring off into the Coruscant skyline. "There were times when he just absolutely loathed Jared's dad. I mean, _loathed_. He'd do anything to get back at him. He'd run away, trash his stuff, talk back at him, spend a ton of his money. I mean, it'd always come back to bite him in the end, but Luke thought it was worth it and he'd just do it again. But I think it always came back to his mother." Han trailed off, trying to remember the strangeness of his youth.

"Luke saw his mother as the cause of all his problems. _She_ was the one to cast him off; _she_ was the one who allowed Vader to have custody of him." Han shrugged, "He blamed her for giving birth to him at all."

Anakin stared off into the distance, not even driving the speeder anymore. They had parked out by the naval academy dormitory, Han's final destination. They just sat in the cockpit.

"Doesn't he understand now?" He asked quietly. "Doesn't he know the truth?"

Han shrugged, smiling sadly. "It's hard to erase ten years of harbored ill-will towards one's mother, and then pretend none of it ever existed. I think Luke looks at Padmé now and sees what he has missed out on during his childhood, and hates her even more."

Anakin's frown deepened.

"Or maybe," Han said, "he pretends to see Padmé as someone she's not, just to make himself feel like he didn't hate his mother all these years for nothing."

Anakin turned to study this young Han Solo, not understanding him one bit. "How is it that you and he are so different, yet you claim to be best friends?"

Han tilted his head back and laughed, "Kind of funny, eh? We became friends more out of a mutual reliance on each other—we worked together pretty well. But he grew up in a completely different setting than me. I wasn't taught to _hate_ everything like he was." Han shrugged, "Honestly, he's a downer more often than not."

Anakin nodded, taking this all in.

"I'm not gonna lie," Han continued, "I never expected to see Luke…_accept_ the Jedi life so well."

"Well?" Anakin repeated, disbelieved. "You think Luke is handling it _well?_"

"Weller than I would have imagined," Han flashed a crooked grin.

Ignoring Han's childishness, Anakin asked, "How so?"

Han shrugged, "I just can't believe he's been so accepting of the Jedi. You don't understand, Luke _really_ loved the Socialist Republic."

Anakin frowned, thinking of exactly _how_ accepting Luke has been of the Jedi—openly dissenting the Jedi views of life and method of combat, making fun of the 'incompetence' of most Jedi. "But Luke hates Corellia."

Han shrugged, "He hates it as a home."

Anakin sighed, leaning back in his seat. "You're really confusing me here."

Han turned his body to face the Jedi Master, "Listen. Luke loved the Socialist Republic, the government of Corellia. He hated living with Vader and Aria and Daala, his _home_ on Corellia."

Anakin stared at Han.

Han sighed, "Luke was always a huge supporter of the Socialist movement; he saw the Galactic Republic as a powerless body of morons and the Jedi as evil parasites. Yes, he may have hated Vader for how badly he treated him, but at the same time he held an immeasurable amount of respect for the man."

"Respect," Anakin repeated.

Han shrugged, "Luke saw Vader's vision for the galaxy as a way of spreading ultimate peace in the end. He never ran away with the intent of joining the other side." He chuckled, "He kind of feels like he was bullied into it, as a matter of fact."

Anakin studied Han with narrowed eyes, "How is it that you don't seem to hold Luke's same views? You sound like you're talking almost omnisciently, or unbiased."

Han shook his head, "Oh no, I am _very_ biased. I just wasn't taught the same brainwash material that _he_ was taught at his stupid Socialist academy." Han smiled, "I was homeschooled."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "By Garris Shrike? And _he_ taught you to be unbiased?"

Han laughed darkly, "No."

Anakin waited, but Han didn't seem to want to explicate. Sensing that he was coming across sensitive information, Anakin changed the course of the conversation.

"Do you think Luke harbors any ill-will towards the Jedi still?" Anakin asked, afraid for Han's response.

"Do I think Luke secretly wants you all to lose?" Han translated.

Anakin nodded, waiting for an answer.

Han stood up, ready to leave the speeder. "It's hard to tell."

* * *

><p>Anakin found himself flying back to the Jedi Temple, as it was already so near by the Naval Academy.<p>

He knew he'd find his old master meditating at this time in the evening, so he went to the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

Just as he had expected, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Hanalei were sitting pretzel-style near one of the fountains. It was so peaceful—the only noises coming from the soft trickling of the water.

Anakin decided to sit down and join them, prompting the meditating Obi-Wan to smile, his eyes still shut.

"Fancy seeing you here, Anakin. I wasn't aware that you still remembered _how_ to meditate, ever since you ceased being my Padawan."

Anakin rolled his eyes under his shut eyelids and the three of them sat there in silence for several more minutes.

After a while Anakin opened his eyes and sighed, his hands still on his lap. He looked at his surroundings.

Hanalei sat in front of her master—Anakin's former master—with her eyes still shut and her chest moving steadily with each breath she took. Anakin smiled, "At least one of your apprentices learned the fine art of meditation."

Obi-Wan smiled and opened his eyes, "Hanalei is quite the Consular—exceptionally skilled at listening to the Force."

Hanalei opened her eyes and smiled, "Thank you, Master."

The three Jedi stood up; Obi-Wan looked down at his Padawan. "Time for bed, young one. We'll start with more exercises in the morning."

Hanalei bowed in front of the two masters and walked off.

Anakin shook his head, amazed. "She's really something. I see her being a wise member of the Jedi High Council someday."

Obi-Wan smiled and put a hand on Anakin's back as they walked out of the fountain room, "Seems I have a knack for training exceptional Jedi."

Anakin smiled under Obi-Wan's praise, "I came for your guidance, truthfully."

The two resumed walking down the spacious halls of the Temple. Obi-Wan nodded for Anakin to continue.

"I've been thinking a lot about this committee that we're supposed to form."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes, I think it's an astute idea. We need a group of Jedi ultimately focused in tracking the Sith. I know Master Mundi is especially interested in joining… And I'm sure Ahsoka will follow you in anything you plan to do."

Anakin nodded, pleased to hear about this expansion. "Yes, but only Jedi?"

Obi-Wan stopped and frowned at Anakin, "What do you mean?"

Anakin turned to face his old master, "I mean, I know how important this assignment is… But is it wise to continue neglecting the young ones?"

Obi-Wan's frowned deepened, "How are we neglecting them? I would have assumed that our apprentices would help us."

Anakin pursed his lips, "But I was thinking a step further. I think we need to make this committee less of an actual _committee_…and more of a _team_."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, entertaining the idea.

"Think about it—the Padawans are not demonstrating teamwork. You yourself told me that this was imperative to learn!"

Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes, I remember."

"I think we need to try a little experiment with them." Anakin said, thinking hard to himself. He knew his son needed more advanced training—but he also needed more specialized training. So did Obi-Wan's apprentice.

"You said earlier that Hanalei is quite the Consular."

Obi-Wan nodded, "Yes, I feel as if she would have excelled more under old Master Qui-Gon's tutelage than my own."

"Don't say that, Master. You're a wonderful teacher."

"To you, maybe." Obi-Wan answered, smiling. "All you ever wanted was to clash your lightsaber around."

Anakin thought to himself; if only Hanalei had someone who could teach her all the things Obi-Wan couldn't—such as flying. Anakin could definitely help his friend out in that department. And Obi-Wan would definitely help Anakin out by helping his son learn how to properly meditate.

Anakin smiled, the wheels in his brain turning as he formulated his idea.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Please read<span>: I realize that I'm coming to apologize after each chapter for my delayed updates, but I have something of an excuse this time. I hope you won't hate me for it, but I've been doing a lot of..._revising_. Especially the first several chapters. Many of you have been asking me about Mara Jade and when we would be seeing her again, and truthfully I just found her to be a dead-end by the way my story had been written so far. I spent the last few weeks tweaking the first few chapters; Mara Jade now has a new sense of purpose in my story and hopefully she will be returning after a few chapters once all the action FINALLY begins! **

**I have also changed one of my OC's into a real character. Leia's close friend, the "niece" of Senator Organa, is now an actual character from the Star Wars universe: Winter Retrac. **

**I want to stress my gratitude for every reader that takes the time to review-you guys mean EVERYTHING to me! I always try my best to respond to each and every one of your queries and I know how angry some of you get when I neglect to update for so long! Just reading back through all my old reviews gave me the right motivation sit down at my computer this morning and _get_ _this done_. **

**Long story short: please try to go back and read some of the older chapters if you can...if you care about Mara Jade at all :) And feel free to pester me with PMs and reviews to remind me that I have a story to write for all my wonderful readers :) I will TRY MY BEST to bring you the next chapter before the demise of 2013! Until then, happy holidays everyone!**


	61. Chapter 61

**CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE**

Luke woke up early the next morning and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

He found his mother sitting at the kitchen table with a mug in her hand as she smiled at him, "Good morning, Luke."

Luke sat down in front of her, "Good morning."

Padmé continued beaming at the unsmiling Luke, "Do you want some hot chocolate?"

Luke shrugged, "I've never tried it, to be honest."

Padmé's eyebrows skyrocketed, "How long have you been living under my roof?"

Luke's smile finally broke through, "Sorry."

Padmé just shook her head, her grin widening as she rose from her seat to pour her son a cup of her favorite hot chocolate mix. She returned with a steaming mug and placed it at the table.

"Be careful, it's hot."

Luke nodded and reached for the mug, looking down at its contents.

Padmé watched her son as she took another sip from her own drink. "It's not poison, hun."

Luke smiled and took a small sip, as it was still hot, and Padmé put her drink on the table.

"So what are you doing today?"

Luke shrugged, "Nothing, really. Just staying home I guess."

Padmé raised her eyebrows, "You don't want to go with your father to the Temple?"

Luke shrugged, "He's been really busy there lately; I don't wanna go if I'm just going to be waiting around the whole day."

Padmé smiled, sensing an opportunity to bond with her son. "I'm sure we can find something more entertaining to do."

* * *

><p>Anakin sat in one of the briefing rooms at the Jedi Temple with his old mentor Obi-Wan with several datapads sprawled out on the table in front of them.<p>

Anakin shook his head, amazed and exhausted. "You have really outdone yourself, Master. If there's anyone who knows more about the Socialist Republic of Corellia, it must be Darth Vader himself."

Obi-Wan shrugged, "I've spent more time than I'm willing to admit simply researching, reading, watching documentaries…"

Anakin smiled and soon after a few more Masters entered the room.

Master Mundi walked in, flanked by Aayla Secura and Ahsoka Tano. They took their seats at the table.

"Aayla," Anakin smiled at his long-time friend, "I'm happy to see you here."

Aayla gave her usual alluring Twi'lek smile, "I'm honored that you asked me to join. I know how important this is to you."

Anakin nodded and looked back at Obi-Wan, "Is that it?"

"Not quite."

Anakin turned to the door to face the speaker and smiled once again after seeing his two healer friends, Barriss Offee and Stass Allie.

"Did you think we were going to let you form a team to fight the Sith without having a couple healers on the standby?" Barriss joked as she and her companion sat down at the table.

Anakin shook his head, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

"What's the plan, boss?" Ahsoka asked, prompting Anakin to sit down and get to business.

"Here's what I had in mind…"

* * *

><p>On the other side of Coruscant, a different type of meeting was taking place.<p>

Two siblings sat in a tinted-windows speeder, hiding under their cloaks.

"I hear the brat is training as a Jedi now."

The boy in the driver's seat looked over at his sister, "What makes you say that?"

His sister shrugged, "I have sources."

Jared shook his head, "Don't believe everything you hear."

Aria raised an eyebrow, "So Luke's been living with a Jedi Master for more than half a year, and you're telling me that he _wouldn't_ succumb to the Order's teachings?"

Jared scowled and folded his arms across his chest, "Luke would never."

"But he did!" Aria shot back, "He's crossed the line. Even Dad says so."

Jared sighed and continued looking out the speeder window, watching the traffic fly by.

It was unthinkable to imagine that Luke—Jared's _best_ friend at one point of his life—could just leave his whole life behind so easily and join the enemy. It was true that Jared had spent the better part of the past year trying to hunt his younger brother down… But this was on a completely different level.

Jared was supposed to compete with Luke to see who was the more worthy between the two Sith apprentices—not to see which was the more worthy between the Light and the Dark side of the Force.

Luke was supposed to fight against _Jared_…Not the entire _Empire_.

Aria warned him that this might happen.

"I _warned_ you this would happen."

"Shut up," Jared muttered, looking away.

Aria smiled, her eyes twinkling with that sinister gleam of hers. To Aria, everything was going as planned. She didn't have the same relationship with Luke that Jared once had… She and Luke had always been adversaries.

Jared had never felt more betrayed. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that Luke was _actually_ a Jedi now. A Jedi! The Jedi were the enemy—Luke _knew_ that the Jedi were weak and pathetic. What was the draw? What was it about the Jedi that allured Luke so much? How could he so easily be fooled and seduced by the Light Side of the Force?

No one seemed to care about this blatant betrayal as much as Jared did. At first, Jared's father thought Luke just needed time to see for himself how pathetic the Jedi were. But ever since the stabbing of Anakin Skywalker… Jared's father declared that Luke was nothing more than a pathetic wannabe, and he was ashamed to have spent so many years training him like he had.

Jared felt a pang in his chest—this was all his fault. If he hadn't gotten the police involved in his chase after Luke, this could have been avoided.

If he hadn't _begun_ his chase after Luke, like his stupid father and sister goaded him to, this could have been avoided.

* * *

><p>Leia went downstairs and crashed on the couch next to her brother, who only looked up at her and smiled.<p>

"Finished all your homework?"

Leia rolled her eyes, "Shut up."

Luke's smile only grew, "School's dumb, isn't it?"

Leia ignored her brother and just looked up at her mom who was now entering the living room with a big bowl of snacks. Leia raised an eyebrow as she watched her mother place the bowl on the caff table in front of them and then plop on the couch next to her twins.

"Uh, Mom? Junk food?"

Padmé smiled, "Sometimes you need to express your inner teenager and just eat all the junk food you can."

Luke smiled and his hand dove into the pile of sweets.

Leia was actually astonished at her mother, "Regular moms don't _encourage_ their kids to eat trash; we're supposed to do it behind your back!"

Padmé shrugged, grinning. "I'm not like regular moms, I'm a _cool_ mom."

Luke laughed out loud and Leia just stared at her awestruck.

Padmé laughed too and dug her own hand into the large bowl of sweets, grabbing one of the wrapped pastries for herself.

Leia sighed and surrendered to the junk food pressure, taking a bag of cookies.

"Did you finish your homework, Leia?" Padmé asked, lounging back in her seat.

Leia rolled her eyes, "_Now_ you want to be the responsible mom?"

Padmé gave her a look, "Leia, you can eat junk food every now and then but your studies are _always_ important."

Leia huffed, "You never pester Luke about _his_ homework!"

Padmé frowned for a moment and looked over at her son, who was too immersed in his chips to care about the conversation.

"Don't the Padawans ever get homework at the Temple?"

Luke shrugged, "I don't know."

Leia and Padmé simultaneously frowned at Luke.

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

Luke shrugged, "I don't really attend _classes_ at the Temple."

Padmé raised an eyebrow, "You skip?"

Luke smirked, "On the contrary, I simply don't show up."

"Luke, that's the same as skipping." Leia said.

Luke shook his head, "No one ever said I had to attend those pointless seminars!"

Padmé tilted her head, "You don't think you'd learn anything useful?"

Luke gave his mother a serious look, "I already _know_ everything."

Leia rolled her eyes for the millionth time that evening, "Luke, you are so full of yourself."

Luke shrugged and went back to his chips.

Padmé smiled and turned her attention back to her daughter, "What homework do you still have?"

Leia shrugged, lounging on the couch she was on. "Just stupid physics—honestly, a waste of time. I'm never going to use it in life."

Padmé gave her daughter a scornful look and Luke just scoffed.

Enticed, Leia sat up and looked at her brother. "You have no right to laugh at me, Mr. I-Don't-Ever-Do-Anything-Useful!"

Luke gave his twin a very serious look, "I'm not going to argue with you about the _importance_ of physics, Leia."

Leia's jaw dropped. She pointed at her brother, "If physics is so important, why don't _you_ attend physics class?!"

Luke smiled, "I already know _everything_."

Padmé knew she shouldn't laugh, but she couldn't help herself. "If you're so good at physics, Luke, help your sister."

Luke shrugged and looked at his sister for agreement. She sighed, "Fine."

She hopped off the couch and headed for the stairs, going up to get her homework from her room.

In the meantime, Padmé gave Luke a look.

He raised his eyebrows, "What?"

"Do you actually know a lot about physics?"

Luke scoffed, "No."

Padmé's jaw dropped, but Luke continued, "I know _everything_."

His mother laughed, and that is what Anakin walked in on when he came home from the Jedi Temple.

"What's so funny?" Anakin asked as he bent over to give his wife a kiss.

Leia ran down the steps with her homework, having overheard her father's question. "Nothing except for the fact that Luke thinks he's a physics genius."

Anakin turned around at the sound of his daughter's voice, expecting a welcoming kiss from her as well.

She hugged him and pecked his cheek, "What took you so long, we were starving to the point where Mom had to break out the junk food."

Anakin smiled, "Just working more with that committee I was telling your mother about."

Padmé smiled and Luke frowned, "What committee?"

Anakin turned to face his son, "I don't remember you telling me hello, son."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Hello, I'm not gonna kiss you."

The rest of the family laughed and Anakin joined them, sitting down on the couch.

"You'll learn about it very soon, Luke. It involves you."

"Good, I don't want to miss the action."

Padmé frowned and tilted her head, looking at her husband. "There's action?"

"No, no… not yet."

Leia frowned, trying to insert herself in this conversation. "Wait, I'm totally lost. Who's doing what action?"

Padmé continued staring down her husband, "Ani, I don't want you taking Luke out on dangerous missions."

Luke's eyebrows skyrocketed as he looked over at his father enthusiastically, "We're gonna finally _do_ things?"

It meant so much to Anakin to see his son excited for a Jedi mission that he couldn't help but shrug at his wife, "Nothing dangerous, Angel, I promise."

Padmé gave him a pointed look, "I'm going to remember you said that."

"_Anyway_," Leia said, successfully breaking into the discussion, "Is someone gonna help me with my physics or not?"

Anakin's eyes lit up, "I'll help you with physics."

Leia smiled, rolling her eyes, "Dad we all know you're good at physics, but Luke's the one who thinks he knows everything, I have to see if that's true."

Luke sighed, getting up from the couch as if this was the _last_ thing he wanted to do tonight. He went around to stand behind Leia's seat, leaning over on the back of the couch and peering over at her work.

"Mirrors?" Luke said, skimming over her homework.

Leia nodded, "The most pointless chapter of physics _ever_."

Padmé frowned, "I didn't realize mirrors had anything to do with physics. Are you studying reflections?"

Leia shook her head, "No, this chapter is all about the different types of mirrors and images and whatever. And there are equations I can use, but our instructor wants us to draw diagrams and…"

Luke smiled down at his sister, "You must be more of an algebra type of person, then. You don't like pictures."

Leia chuckled, "Yeah, that's true. I hated geometry."

Luke went around the couch to sit next to his sister, "Alright, what's the first problem."

"What's the difference between converging and diverging?"

"The curves of the mirrors; converging is the side of the spoon you eat from."

Leia looked at her brother, smiling. "Nice way to put it. Diverging is the other side?"

Luke shrugged, "Yeah, sure."

Padmé smiled, "I see why you're a physics expert."

Anakin scoffed, "No, he's just a spoon expert."

Luke rolled his eyes, "We haven't even started diagraming yet."

Anakin narrowed his eyes at his son, "I have to wonder why I never see _you_ doing any homework."

Padmé's eyebrows shot up, "That's what I said!"

Luke shrugged, but Anakin began thinking more upon this, "Don't you attend any of those seminars?"

Luke almost wanted to laugh, "Why would I do that?"

Anakin gave him a pointed look, knowing he would rather go to the gyms with the other Padawans his age (and by 'his age' Anakin meant boys _at least_ a year older than him) than attend classes where he would sit restlessly listening to a Master talk about something with little interest for Luke.

Anakin smiled to himself, knowing that soon Luke would have no choice but to learn from the other Masters in the new 'team' he was forming.

"If I didn't know any better," Padmé said, interrupting Anakin's thoughts and giving him a knowing smile, "I'd say that you were plotting something."

Anakin smiled, shaking his head. "No, nothing that hasn't been plotted already."

* * *

><p><strong>Happy New Year everybody!<strong>


	62. Chapter 62

**Finally up with a new chapter...and it is ****_long_****.** **It's a very reflective chapter on Luke's behalf (some of you have been saying he's been too passive lately), but this finally kicks off the next segment that I've been hinting at. **

**Do you like these long chapters? Or are they better when they're short and to the point? :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO<strong>

It was one of those mornings again and Luke Skywalker simply did _not_ want to get out of bed.

Padmé had been in and out of his room, nagging on him that his breakfast was getting cold. Leia didn't like the fact that she had to be up and ready for school while her brother was still snoozing away, so she came in and opened all the blinds to allow the unforgiving sunlight access into the room.

This only made Luke growl and re-close the blinds using his handy telekinesis. He readjusted himself between the covers and went back to restless sleep.

Sleep was always restless when Luke was confronted with the demons of his past...

_._

_It was an evening like any other in Coronet City, Corellia. It was an evening that, though the rush hour traffic and noise permeated the air, Luke could still find peace._

_Laying on top of the white stone rooftop, Luke turned to his brother. "Can something be peaceful and destructive at the same time?"_

_Jared, who was playing with a random leaf in the wind, raised his eyebrows. He was laying crossed-legged on top of the fire escape, sitting higher than Luke. Jared looked down at his brother, "Peaceful destruction?"_

_Luke shrugged and looked back out at the hundreds of speeders in the air that separated him from the setting sun. "Coronet is the most peaceful metropolis in the galaxy…"_

_Jared smiled, "And the most destructive?"_

_Luke smiled embarrassedly and looked away, "I guess that's kind of stupid."_

_Jared tilted his head, smiling. "Stupid is as stupid does. And it's been a while since you've done something too boneheaded-ly stupid, so I'll cut you some slack."_

_Luke sat up and gave Jared a knowing smile, "Such as…breaking my lightsaber?"_

_Jared sat up quickly, "Shut up."_

_Luke actually smiled, "You didn't get it fixed?"_

_Jared shook his head, "I can't! I need a new crystal."_

_Luke's eyebrows rose, "That bad?"_

_Jared shook his head, "Dad's gonna kill me."_

_Luke laughed, "This will be your third one!"_

_Jared narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his brother, "Did you tell him?"_

_Luke's expression quickly turned astonished, "You really think I would do that?"_

_Jared shrugged, chuckling. "You would to get back at me."_

_Luke got up and punched Jared's shoulder, "There, we're even."_

_Jared laughed out loud, causing a flock of birds sitting on the edge of the roof to fly off into the sunset._

_Jared sighed and looked towards the disappearing birds, "Peaceful destruction."_

_Luke lied back on his stomach with his arms folded in front of his face, thinking for a moment. "You know, I take it back. Corellia is not peaceful destruction."_

_Jared shrugged, "I know. I'm glad you came to your senses."_

_"The capitalists have something that resembles it too much: _creative_ destruction."_

_Jared, going back to playing with the autumn leaves sprawled across the surface of the rooftop, adorned his best uninterested expression. "Please, explain further."_

_Completely oblivious to Jared's indifference to the subject, Luke continued. "It means that, in order for something better and new to come in, you have to make room for it by destroying the old."_

_"Is that a bad thing?" Jared replied, "It's like taking out the trash."_

_Luke sat up, "Not really. The old isn't trash yet. The old is being pushed aside for the new to come in. A lot of people get mad, but in the end it's for the greater good."_

_Jared gave Luke a smile, "You know I never really cared about the greater good."_

_Luke smiled, about to deliver his retort until his comlink began buzzing._

_"Ignore it, it's probably just Aria."_

_Luke pursed his lips and decided to answer it anyway._

_"Luke?" Came the annoying voice of the brothers' least favorite female._

_Jared mouthed the words 'told you' before Luke answered._

_"Yeah?"_

_"My father wants to see you. Both of you."_

_"How does she know I'm here?" Jared whined._

_Luke could almost hear Aria rolling her eyes, "I felt the presence of a warm slab of brick and I simply figured."_

_Jared's facial expression drooped with disbelief, "That made no sense. Do her insults ever make sense?"_

_Luke smiled, "I think she was trying to call you a warm-bodied brickhead."_

_Aria scoffed, "Whatever! Come ASAP, Dad's in his office."_

_"Yeah, yeah." Luke said before shutting off the comm._

_Jared groaned and got up, "You think he found out about my lightsaber?"_

_Luke smiled, "I think he has more important things to worry about than your lightsaber. He's probably more upset about the whole argument I got into with Garriss Shrike. You think he's there with your dad, waiting to get back at me?"_

_Jared chuckled and slapped Luke's back as they headed for the turbolift down, "I got your back, bro."_

.

Luke stayed in his bed, staring up at his ceiling as the words resonated in the back of his mind.

_"I got your back, bro."_

Luke rolled over on his back, wondering if Jared's promise still stood.

"I got your back, too."

Before Luke could ponder it any further, the Father With No Tolerance entered the room and put his hands on his waist.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm up." Luke said, getting out of bed.

Anakin nodded, smiling. "Thought so."

* * *

><p>"Well look who finally decided to show his face to the living people!"<p>

Luke rolled his eyes for the tenth time already that morning as he strode past the pest Jerome Landski on his way to the training center at the Temple.

Jerome didn't budge and followed Luke along. "The exalted Luke Skywalker has been generous enough to grace us mere Jedi peasants with his company. I'm humbled."

Luke had to literally rub his eyes to refrain from rolling them yet again. Jerome and Nick Misciewicz, a fellow Padawan in Landski's same class, both laughed as they followed their younger peer to the fitness center.

Jerome loosened up and walked closer next to Luke, his face becoming serious. "So really, tell me what's going on."

Luke shrugged, "I honestly have no idea."

"Doesn't your father tell you anything?"

Luke scowled at Jerome and then looked away, continuing to walk forward.

But Jerome was persistent, "I heard they've been planning something big."

Luke sighed, "Like what?"

Jerome just gave a strange smile and continued walking, reaching the doors of the training room where they were met by Hanalei Karla.

"There you guys are!"

Luke and Jerome glanced at each other and then at Hanalei.

"I wasn't aware we were being searched for," Jerome said.

Hanalei waved her hand, "Come on, you too Nick."

Nick, who had been the third wheel forgotten by Luke and Jerome, merely raised his eyebrows up in surprise and followed the rest of the Padawans to a different room. Luke simply thought it was too early for this kind of déjà vu: a fifteen year-old girl beckoning Luke and a sixteen year-old boy to their Masters.

_"Peaceful destruction,"_ Luke heard Jared's voice in the back of his mind.

So Luke had to wonder: were these Jedi the "new" that replaced the old, or was Luke the old that had been replaced with something new?

* * *

><p>The four entered a lounge with three other Padawans occupying it, all sitting on the couch.<p>

The Rutian Twi'lek that Luke had met before, Lola Mersu, stood up and looked at Hanalei. "You four were sent in here, too?"

Hanalei nodded, "Master Kenobi told me to round these boys up while I was at it."

Lola nodded and gestured towards her two other companions, "Master Mundi told me the same for Rex and Corran."

Hanalei shrugged and sat down on the couch in front of the others, "I guess we wait then."

Luke sighed, feeling too restless to wait alone with only his thoughts for company. He sat down in between Corran and Jerome, completely tuning out everything they were saying. Luke felt a strong feeling of déjà vu; he had to wonder if the outcome of this gathering would in any way end up like that fateful meeting that he and Jared once had with their master.

.

_As the doors of the turbolift opened, Luke slapped Jared on the back, returning the gesture._

_"I got your back, too."_

_"Good, I'm going to hold you to that." Jared assured as they began walking down the corridor that led to his father's basement office. "If he kills me because of my lightsaber…"_

_Luke almost laughed, "I bet this meeting isn't even about that!"_

_Jared frowned, "What do you think it is, then?"_

_Luke bit his lip, the aura of their conversation now depreciating. "I'm not sure."_

_"Why do you think Aria was the one to summon us?"_

_Luke closed his eyes, "I don't know."_

_Jared shook his head, "I don't like this. I bet Aria was with him. Alone."_

_Luke sighed._

_"I don't like this," Jared repeated. "Nothing good ever comes out of them plotting together alone."_

_Luke smiled at his brother, "I thought you weren't a fan of the greater good?"_

_Jared flashed a snarky grin, "I was talking about my _own_ good."_

_Luke turned to face forward again as they kept walking. "Maybe this meeting will be for our own good."_

_Jared's eyebrows heightened, "Look at you, trying to be all optimistic!"_

_Luke raised an eyebrow, "Since when was it ever optimistic to be solely concerned with only yourself?" _

_Jared shook his head, "I don't know why you care so much about things that don't even concern you. You should care about yourself. It's the way of the Sith."_

_Luke shook his head, "Everything concerns me. We are all connected in one way or another, Jared. It's the way of the Force."_

_Jared sighed, "You sound too much like our father."_

_"And you sound too much like our sister."_

_They now stood outside the door of Darth Vader's old office. An office that he didn't even use to plot Empire stuff anymore. This was an office Vader used back in the old days—the days before he had any sort of political power at all—the days that he was no more than an anarchist running for the highest office on the planet._

_Jared gestured to the door ahead of him, "Ladies first."_

_Luke gestured back, "Age before beauty."_

_Jared growled, physically pushing Luke inside._

_The two stumbled inside the small office, causing the Dark Lord to look up from his desk at the two boys in front of him with annoyance._

_"What an entrance," he muttered sarcastically._

_Luke and Jared quickly composed themselves and wiped the grins off their faces._

_"Sorry, Father." Jared mumbled, taking a seat in front of his desk._

_"Sorry," Luke said too, sitting across from Vader next to Jared._

_Vader clasped his hands together and looked at the two boys, studying them. The compact office allowed for much more familiarity and intimacy, though the meeting was bound to be anything but comfortable._

_Staring up at his master, Luke wondered what all he ever achieved in such a room like this one; this room, that once served as an office to a young Darth Vader, who probably wasn't even 'Darth Vader' yet._

_Vader spoke finally, shaking Luke out of his reverie and replacing the young image of Darth Vader with a much older and wiser one. "I almost wanted to praise you two on acting like such grown adults." _

_Jared and Luke side-glanced each other and looked back at their father sheepishly._

_"Jared, you just turned sixteen. And Luke, you'll be thirteen this winter. The year is ending on a promising note."_

_Jared smiled to himself, knowing that this was the closest he'd ever get to a compliment from his father that didn't involve fighting techniques or smart ideas. He looked over at Luke, the pessimist, who remained unsmiling._

_Vader sighed and leaned back in his chair, away from his desk. "You must be wondering why I sent for you this evening. Well, let me tell you. You all were with me when the Death Star did its first test run."_

_Jared nodded, remembering the glorious day in Empire history._

_Luke nodded too, remembering the revolting sensation he felt right afterwards._

_"Well now is a very critical time. The political theater on Coruscant is becoming more and more tense. I fear the Jedi have felt the disturbance in the Force when Dosuun was destroyed."_

_Luke's eyebrows sprung, "They could feel it all the way here?"_

_Vader nodded, "Of course, no measure of distance can stretch the Force too thin."_

_Jared's eyes widened in amazement, remembering what Luke said about the Force moments earlier. He smiled; Luke was smart when he wanted to be._

_"I'm going to Coruscant," Vader began again, "and I'm taking you with me, Jared."_

_Jared was surprised, "Me?"_

_Luke looked over at the astonished Jared and felt yet another sinking feeling in his chest. His father always chose Jared to go with him to Coruscant, how was he even surprised?_

_Jared looked back over at Luke, thinking along the same lines. He was always the one who got to go to Coruscant, but why?_

_Vader observed them both, capable of reading their minds. He knew Luke was doing a good job of trying not to look too disappointed. _All in due time, my young apprentice_._

_Luke's eyes snapped to Vader's direction. Vader was staring at him in the most solemn of ways._

_._

Looking back at it, it would have been easy for Luke to assume that Vader simply did not want him on Coruscant in fear that he would run into Anakin Skywalker. But now he had to wonder if it was a part of an ulterior motive: to pit Luke and Jared up against each other…and make them jealous of each other…to make them hate each other.

Luke drew a sharp breath and balled his fists on his lap.

Jerome side-glanced him, his eyes drifting over to the direction of Luke's whitening knuckles. He looked up at his face and saw him staring blankly at the wall in front of them.

Luke was out of it, that much was clear.

Corran chuckled, noticing Luke's behavior as he sat on the other side of him as Jerome. "As we wait for whatever it is that we're waiting for, I think Skywalker gets the gold medal for most nervous."

Rex, who was listening in, laughed. Luke snapped out of it and looked at Corran, too disoriented in reality to even crack a smile.

Jerome didn't laugh either. He knew Luke well enough to know that 'nervousness' was not what was occupying Luke's attention. For as long as he'd known Luke, he knew the shorter blonde kid to never get nervous _ever_. He knew that Luke lived a completely different life than the rest of the Padawans in the room. Sometimes, he couldn't stand him for it. But at times like this, all Jerome wanted was to know what went on in Luke Skywalker's head.

"I want to share something."

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing—and thinking—and gave Hanalei their attention.

"I might have a theory on why we're here."

Giving her his somewhat divided attention, Luke contemplated Hanalei. He understood why she was such a likeable person. He understood why someone like him and someone like Jerome could both consider the calm, collected, chestnut-haired Hanalei as their friend. She gave that aura that she was sensible, that she always knew what she was doing. She's smart. She thinks before she acts; Luke appreciated that a lot. She always took all things into perspective.

Also, Hanalei saw something in Luke that people like Jerome would never understand. By Jedi standards, Hanalei was compassionate.

"The other day, I was meditating with Master Kenobi…and Master Skywalker showed up."

"Ooh, shocker." Nick interrupted, "We all know they're best friends."

Jerome rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Please continue."

"Well, long story short, I think they're going to have us on some intense training program."

Rex frowned, "Why us?"

"Master Skywalker made it sound like it was just a few Padawans, like an experiment. And figuring that all of our Masters are friends…"

"Good reasoning skills, Hanalei." Lola, the oldest of the group, praised.

Hanalei shrugged modestly, "I was kind of eavesdropping."

Corran laughed, "Hanalei, you rebel!"

"What kind of training?" Jerome asked, cutting right to the chase.

Hanalei shrugged, "I have no idea. I'm just telling you what I interpreted from their discussion."

Anakin definitely did well to keep this secret, Luke thought to himself. He almost resented his father for it.

But thinking back to more than a year ago, Luke realized that nothing Anakin Skywalker ever did was truly resentment-worthy. He was nothing like the calculating, conspiring Darth Vader.

.

_"What's going to happen on Coruscant, Father?" Jared asked._

_"Hopefully, nothing. I'm going to go meet with Chancellor Malindaar at his private office in Lower Coruscant. There, I have a job for you. We can discuss this all later, the real reason I brought you two here is because I want to talk…about the Jedi."_

_Luke and Jared instantly became intrigued._

_Vader hardly ever spoke about the Jedi unless he was bashing them, slamming their Order, criticizing their practices, and condemning their views._

_This time it was a warning._

_"I've spent too much time reducing the Jedi and I fear that your constructed image of them is not as serious as it should be."_

_Luke and Jared both frowned. Darth Vader's tone made it very clear that he was not kidding around._

_Yet again, Darth Vader hardly ever "kidded around" when it came to the Jedi._

_"The Jedi do pose a threat, never forget that. Never become arrogant. Arrogance gets you _killed_."_

_His words punched the two apprentices in the gut. Luke never heard his father warn him against anything like this before._

_"My master was arrogant, and look where he is now." Vader said, mentioning his master for the first time in several years, to Luke's memory._

_"The Jedi may be clueless, but they're not entirely stupid. Once they realize there is a threat against them, they will do all they can stop us."_

_Luke felt—what was that feeling?—almost panicked. He was used to hearing about how the Jedi didn't stand a chance against him. This was different now._

_"But we've faced Jedi before." Jared said uneasily._

_Vader nodded, "Yes, but we were the ones on the offensive. They didn't see us coming. It was stealth."_

_He turned to face Luke now, "Do you understand why the apprentices of big, powerful Jedi cannot live?"_

_Luke, who had been questioning many of the things that he did recently, looked up at his father square in the eyes._

_"He would have been your biggest nightmare. If a time came when the Jedi realized that Sith were trying to take their rightful place, they would become defensive. They would collect their strongest and brightest and come after us. They would use their numbers against us."_

_There was a short silence before Luke spoke, "Are we at a disadvantage?"_

_Vader clasped his hands together again and looked at Luke, "Quantity-wise? Yes. Quality-wise, no. I have trained you two to be the match of ten Jedi. I'm not worried about that."_

_There was a longer silence before Luke spoke again, "Then what are you worried about?"_

_Jared held his breath in and Luke watched Vader closely. Had he asked too personal of a question?_

_Vader regarded Luke for a long time before looking back at Jared, "We're leaving in a couple nights."_

_Jared nodded quickly, almost relieved that his father didn't answer Luke's question._

_"If you're having any…lightsaber problems…I suggest you fix it now."_

_The blood completely drained out of Jared's face before he nodded again and shot up from his seat._

_Luke sighed, getting up too._

_"No, Luke. I need to talk to you alone."_

_Luke and Jared shared a quick look before Luke sat back down. Jared stood, confused for a moment, before leaving Luke and his father alone together. _

_._

Sometimes the irony of Luke's life was just too much to handle. Here he was, sitting among a number of Jedi, probably waiting to be introduced to a plot that will destroy the Sith.

And to prove Vader's point even further, he looked around him; these were all fairly skilled Jedi, and they were only Padawans.

He saw what Lola Mersu, the tall, light-blue seventeen year-old Twi'lek girl, could do when faced with not one but _six_ different blaster remotes. Hanalei Karla was the spitting Jedi persona of her Master, the perfect negotiator (and excellent with mind tricks, if Luke said so himself). The fit, black-haired sixteen year-old Rex actually knew a _lot_ about healing, let alone the sciences in general. Having dueled Jerome at one time, Luke could vouch that the soon-to-be seventeen year-old was a capable swordsman. The short fifteen year-old Corran Horn was a master of telepathy. And everything one could possibly need to know about a ship, speeder, or spacecraft could all be found in curly-haired Nick's soon-to-be seventeen year-old brain (as Nick himself once put it).

Sitting among all these smart and skilled (be it, inexperienced) Jedi Padawans, Luke had to wonder if his father was ever wrong.

Scratch that—_Darth Vader_.

Where would Luke be now if he was still with Vader, believing everything the Dark Lord ever told him?

A part of him still felt nauseated at the thought that he had betrayed the one man who had raised him and taught him everything he knew. Everything Luke ever thought he would be when he grew up involved following in Darth Vader's footsteps.

Vader was Luke's master, and Luke never second-guessed him.

Sometimes the sheer absurdity of Luke's life was too much to handle. How, after years of hating the Jedi and hating his life as well, could Luke find himself sitting among them at the very Jedi Temple on Coruscant?

_._

_Vader waited for a long time before speaking again, making sure Jared was completely out of earshot._

_Luke wasn't one to tremble under his father's intimidating presence, but he couldn't help but feel like he had said something wrong just now._

_"Do you want to know what I am really worried about, Luke?"_

_Luke didn't move._

_"I'm more concerned…worried…about _us_…than about _them_."_

_Luke held his breath._

_"Us. The three of us. You, me, and Jared."_

_This conversation was going down a very bad path, Luke could feel it._

_"A house divided against itself cannot stand."_

_Luke frowned, "Are we…divided?"_

_Vader leaned in closer to Luke, "Not yet. But as our lives become more public, our disagreements will become more severe. It is too early in the game for master and apprentice to clash. But there are three of us…"_

_"And Aria," Luke interjected._

_Vade pursed his lips, "Aria's purpose is her own. She is no threat to you."_

_Luke regarded Vader's words._

_"But Jared is?"_

_Vader nodded slowly._

_Luke frowned, "H-How can that be?"_

_Vader sighed and sat back in his chair, "Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I decided to train the two of you together. It was…heedless, to say the least."_

_Luke just listened to his master, wondering where in the world this was going._

_"You and Jared both have a natural aptitude in the Force. Jared is strong and an exceptional lightsaber wielder. On the other hand, your strong connection to the Force allows you to excel in the more mystical side, such as telekinesis and manipulating the Force. Both of you have your strengths and your fall-outs. But…I foresee problems if you two were ever to work together as a team during wartime."_

_Luke frowned, "But we've worked as a team well so far—"_

_"In the future it's going to be different," Vader cut in. "The bond between master and apprentice cannot be threatened by a third wheel."_

_Luke's frown deepened, "Jared's a third wheel?"_

_Vader's lip twitched, but he didn't smile. "I never said that."_

_Luke stared at his father for a long time._

_"I'm the third wheel."_

_The dejected manner in which Luke came to this realization caused Vader to laugh out loud, subsequently making Luke jump in his seat._

_Vader subsided, "Oh, Luke. If only you knew what trouble I had to go through in order to train you in the first place. No, you are not the third wheel."_

_"Then I don't understand."_

_Vader sighed and clasped his hands together on top of his desk again, "It's something you and Jared have to figure out together…or against each other, whichever way works."_

_Luke's eyebrows scaled as he finally understood what Vader was trying to say. "You want us…to fight?"_

_Vader shrugged, "I'm hoping it doesn't come down to it, but in an essence, yes."_

_Such a notion was too unreal to Luke. "But Jared's my—"_

_Vader stared at Luke, who had stopped mid-sentence, for a long time before speaking._

_"Jared is not your brother, Luke."_

_The gut-wrenching feeling in Luke's stomach made that perfectly clear without Vader having to say it._

_"Why do you think I never trained Aria the same way as you two?" Vader said as an afterthought._

_Luke shook his head and closed his eyes, bending over in his chair. The reality of it all was finally crashing down on him, and Vader made it seem like it was no big deal._

_There was no tie between Jared and Luke…except for a friendship built on the fact that they live similar lives, at the commands of their father—Jared's father._

_"There can be no confusion when the time comes, Luke. When the time comes that the shroud of the Sith falls."_

_Luke sat back up, looking in front of him. Looking past Darth Vader. Looking at what the future might possibly hold._

_Luke would never fight the Jedi side-by-side Jared._

_._

But Luke would fight Jared side-by-side the Jedi. The bitterness of it all was too sweet.

Luke slouched back in his seat on the couch, folding his arms over his chest. The Padawans around him were all discussing some incident that occurred in the cafeteria the other day while Luke sat in his own world wondering when exactly his and Jared's relationship had gone south.

He remembered the conversation with Vader, the night he finally revealed the two boys' fate to Luke, occurred at the end of the fall before his thirteenth birthday. If he had to guess, Vader didn't tell Jared about the impending quarrel until sometime after the New Year.

All Luke knew was that the five or so months after the New Year marked the ultimate deterioration of the once-strong brotherhood of Luke Vader and Jared Lamar. At the beginning of summer, Luke split. He came to Coruscant with Han Solo, marking the beginning of his next great journey as his _own_ apprentice.

"Someone's coming," Lola announced.

The Padawans, all sitting in their semi-circle, stared in the direction of the doorway.

The door slid open and seven Jedi Masters walked in the room.

Luke watched as they greeted the occupants and took their seats on the couches in front of the half-moon of Padawans, completing the circle.

Ki-Adi Mundi walked in first, followed by Stass Allie and Aayla Secura. Then came in Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano. They all sat down as the final two came in, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

The seven Padawans who had been waiting for well over half an hour stared up at the iconic duo, wondering why in the world they were all gathered here this morning.

"You're probably wondering why I've gathered you all here this morning," Anakin began.

Nick leaned in to Jerome's ear, "I thought Hanalei gathered us here."

"_Shut up_," Jerome muttered through his teeth.

"Master Kenobi and I have been working on something for a long time, something that I recently chose to involve the rest of these Masters, something that we finally chose to include you all in," Anakin continued.

He spoke directly addressing the seven Padawans.

"For those of you who don't know, the Council has appointed me to lead a committee of sorts to focus on the looming threat of the Sith."

The Padawans all nodded, some even smiling awkwardly as they all remembered the night Anakin Skywalker was stabbed by the Sith himself right here on Coruscant.

"But after a lot of thinking, I realized this is not something I can do by myself, therefore I included these other highly esteemed Jedi Masters."

Master Mundi shook his head, smiling, "This isn't a praise-fest, Anakin."

Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano both laughed, the others just smiled.

Anakin, smiling, looked back at the intrigued Padawans. "And then I realized this is not something I _want_ to do by myself, therefore I included you seven."

The seven teenagers briefly looked around at each other and then back at Anakin.

"You must be thinking, 'well yes, if my Jedi Master is involved then I will possibly be involved too.' Well, I want to strike out the possibility and make it a solid fact. I want you seven to be as involved in the next several missions we take as your masters are. I think there is a lesson to be learned from experience and teamwork, especially in such critical times."

Luke couldn't believe from his ears how literally opposite Anakin Skywalker was from Darth Vader.

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan before returning his attention to the Padawans. "We're trying to achieve something new here. We're going to test out a new way of training—a sort of collective training. We're going to equip you with all the knowledge you will ever need to face the Sith."

Luke frowned as the realization of what his father was really saying dawned on him.

"You're going to be the first-ever team fully specialized in the ways of the Sith."

Luke could literally hear Corran's jaw drop next to him. Hanalei's eyes widened so far that one would wonder if she ever had eyelids. Rex stopped breathing, and Nick literally hooted.

Luke and Jerome just glanced at each other and then back at Anakin, who seemed to take the other Padawans' reactions very well.

"It's a little unorthodox," he continued, "but I'm hoping it will work. We realize many of the new generations don't know much about nor understand the practices of the Sith; Master Kenobi has done an excellent job in preparing everything you will ever need to know about the current state of the galaxy without ever needing to visit the Archives for help. But if you ever feel like you could use extra research, do not hesitate _to_ visit the Archives for help."

Next to him, a smiling Obi-Wan stepped forward. "This is definitely your time to show the Order what you're best at. The most important aspect of teamwork is working together—helping each other out in any way possible."

He seemed to look directly at Luke and Jerome as he finished, "Not competing against each other and putting one another down."

Nick and Corran both laughed quietly. Anakin rolled his eyes, "Any questions?"

Nick and Corran's hands both shot in the air. Corran glanced at Nick, "I think we have the same question."

Nick pursed his lips, "Is your question a stupid question?"

Corran took a sharp breath in deliberation, "Yeah."

Master Secura, who had been sitting silently until now, gave her apprentice and Nick Misciewicz a stern look, "What's the stupid question?"

"Are we like…a superhero team?"

The thirteen other people in the room stared at Corran, who had spoken for both himself and Nick.

After a moment, Rex added her two cents. "Corran, Jedi _are_ superheroes."

"So shouldn't we have a team name?" Nick asked.

Anakin sighed, "I tell you that we're gonna fight Sith Lords and all you're concerned about is the team name?"

Lola, who felt increasingly embarrassed by her peers, tried to retract their questions. "Master Skywalker, we're more than _thrilled_ that you are including us in your team. Nick and Corran are just being childish, so please don't let their antics misrepresent our gratitude."

Luke pointed at Lola, "I move to make Lola the permanent representative of the team apprentices."

Hanalei's hand quickly shot up in the air, "I second that motion."

"All in favor?" Jerome asked after a second.

Seven hands of all seven Padawans rose, and so did Master Mundi's.

Rex crossed her ankles and leaned back in the couch, "We're such a good team already."

Anakin smiled, "Well I must say I like this idea of voting. It's very democratic."

Nick pursed his lips, "Um, can our next point of order be to…vote on a team name?"

The rest of the Padawans groaned, but Master Secura wasn't against the idea.

"If they want a team name," she said, "what's the harm in having one?"

Anakin pursed his lips, "It could upset the other Padawans."

"How about Team Jedi?"

"Wow very original, Corran, did you come up with that all by yourself?"

"Have any better ideas?"

Nick smiled, "How about 'The Sith Stink Seven'?"

"There are fourteen of us, Nick." Hanalei sighed.

Rex drummed her chin with her fingers, "Fourteen Jedi, fourteen Force-users."

Luke adorned his crooked grin, "The Force Fourteen."

"That's it!" Corran exclaimed.

Rex clapped excitedly and Hanalei actually giggled.

Nick laughed, "So much better than _Team Jedi!_"

Jerome shrugged, "I liked Team Jedi."

"Jerome," Corran turned towards him, "that was such a lame idea."

"It was _your_ idea!"

"You are all in the presence of seven Jedi Masters," Lola interrupted, "And you're bickering about a dumb name?"

Hanalei nodded, "Let's just vote so we can put it to rest. All in favor of Force Fourteen?"

The Jedi Masters all looked at each other, probably wondering if it was appropriate to vote on such a small matter. In the end, seven hands belonging to Jedi Masters found themselves wavering in the air.

Likewise, five of the seven Padawans raised their hands. All except Luke and Jerome, who both turned to stare each other down.

"Majority wins," Hanalei announced.

Anakin smiled, "Congratulations on being formally inducted into…the _Force Fourteen_."

.

_Vader watched as his young apprentice got up from his seat and walked towards the door._

_"Luke," Vader called out, wanting to leave him with one final piece of advice._

_Luke turned around._

_"There's a reason the Sith live by the Rule of Two. Interaction with the Force is too personal. There is only room for teacher and student, not a whole team of Force-users."_

_Luke stared at Vader._

_"For so long, the Jedi have tried to justify their Order, their…group of Jedi. But they know the Force can only be handled by pairs of two. Have you ever heard of a Master with two students? It's extremely rare because it doesn't work. It's a universal truth that even the Jedi accept, though they don't act on it fully."_

_Luke looked at the floor and nodded. Truthfully, Vader's words were like a punch in the stomach. There was no one in the galaxy that Luke was closer to than Jared Lamar. Take him away, and Luke was completely alone._

_._

Sometimes he still felt alone. He could look around him and see people, especially his family, get along together well and Luke would still feel alone. He'd feel alone when he thought about how he didn't fit in, or when he asked himself if he even _wanted_ to fit in. He'd feel alone whenever the heavy cloud of despair periodically returned to hover over him. He'd feel alone, and it was hard to see the good in life.

But when he tried hard enough, Luke could see who all was there for him.

Anakin was there for him, Leia was there for him, Padmé was there for him, Han was there for him.

Luke smiled to himself, watching the commotion around him; now he had a whole team there for him, too.

Who said teams couldn't work?

Luke never felt the need to disprove Darth Vader any more than he did right now, at this moment. This team _would_ work. The Force didn't have to be handled personally; it could be handled by all fourteen of them.

The Force Fourteen.


	63. Chapter 63

**CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE**

The Overbridge—the War Room—the Death Star Control Room—it was here that the elite members of the Empire met to discuss, plan, and plot.

The members of "the table" all presently sat in their designated seats, quietly awaiting their commander at the long, polished glistening black table—a table that reflected the strength and ruthless ambition of the men and women who occupied its seats.

They all waited for their head and superior, Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, who sat stoically and menacingly at the head. He sat with his hands clasped on the table in front of him, staring down at each member of the table with intimidation while his apprentice, his seventeen year-old son Jared, stood ominously at the corner of the room with his arms folded across his chest and his long black robes covering his intimidating build.

The members of the table, who have known Lord Vader for several years now, could tell when the Dark Lord was not in a good mood.

This was one of those days.

Vader expelled a long sigh of aggravation and stared intently down at his clasped hands.

"What's the latest with the Loyalists, Piett?"

Firmus Piett, who recently lost all touch with his "old friends" Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa due to their discovery of his fraudulence, stuttered, "I-I'm not sure—"

Vader looked up at him, "Why not, Piett?"

Piett blinked several times, "Because we do not speak—"

Vader mocked a surprised expression, "Is that so, Piett? So would you say your presence at this table is no longer needed, _Piett?_"

Piett, now visibly perspiring, was at a loss for words. It was never a comfortable position to be under Vader's harsh scrutinty.

Luckily for him, his long-time friend and mentor Kelli Dasknatta spoke up for him. "Malek, it's not his fault."

Vader's eyebrows rose and he turned to look at the Malastarian senator. She knew him well enough when he was on his bad days. He was not serious about demoting Piett; he was only angry about the lack of progress.

"What do _you_ have to say about this whole situation, Kelli?" Vader retorted.

Kelli threw her hands in the air, "They were going to find out sooner or later!"

Tarkin scoffed, "Yes, and they found out sooner rather than later."

Vader flashed Tarkin a dark look before returning his attention to Senator Dasknatta.

"No one here has been working hard enough at their jobs. When was the last time you convinced a fellow Loyalist that 'socialism was the way to go'? When was the last time you passed a law that benefited our purpose? What have you been _doing_ sitting around the Senate all day?"

Kelli sat back in her chair, frazzled. "We have _jobs_ to do, you know. Some of us still hold a public office with public responsibilities! You're lucky Anakin Skywalker's son showed up when he did to distract them from the commotion around my alleged embezzlement."

Vader slammed his fists at the table, causing other members at the table to jump, but Kelli was not fazed. She was one of the very few people who could speak to the Dark Lord like this without fearing for her very life.

"Admit it, Vader," Kelli continued, "this 'situation' was created by someone in _your_ department, not ours!"

Vader opened his mouth to say something, but Tarkin beat him to it.

"Was that a part of the plan at all? To get Skywalker's son to spill all our plans?"

Vader turned back to him, "Does it _look_ like it was a part of the plan?"

"Why are you yelling at us, then?" Kelli shot back, "It was _your_ fault in the first place!"

Vader shot up from his seat and began to slowly pace the room. "You needed to be prepared! The Death Star is completely functional, but there is not enough support in the Senate!"

Kelli and Wilhuff glanced at each other and then back at Vader.

Vader stopped and looked down at the two, trying to get them to understand the severity of this problem. "The Jedi are _mobilizing_."

Tarkin huffed, "Well, we're ready! Let's just get this war started."

Vader pursed his lips and scowled, "We need more systems on our side. No doubt the Jedi will start knocking on our doors and get more systems _back_ on _their_ side!"

Kelli and Wilhuff both sighed, giving up on their arguments. Vader turned to stare down at Malindaar now—the high and mighty Supreme Chancellor—who had to resist himself from trembling under Vader's harsh glare.

There was once a time when Vader and Malindaar were friends—a short time—but a time nonetheless. They were a team, conquering Corellia together. Now, they were conquering the galaxy, but they were not the same team that they once were.

"What's our Supreme Chancellor up to these days?" Vader asked with maximum sarcasm dripping from his words.

Malindaar didn't answer, so Vader continued. "Why aren't you making it harder on the Loyalists to function? Scratch that, why aren't you making the Loyalists' lives a living hell? Do you need a demonstration?"

"Malek, please!" Kelli said incredulously, defending another one of her friends for the second time that meeting.

Vader exhaled an annoyed sighed. He took one last glance at his son and exited the room, Jared following behind him. Members of the table who weren't directly involved in government, like Garris Shrike, got up, too, leaving the politicians alone.

Natasi Daala, though technically the Admiral of the Death Star, remained behind to simply sit back and watch the senators. Kelli, sitting directly next to her, eyed her warily. Daala was Vader's right-hand woman, literally, and anything that happened here would directly reach Vader through her.

Meanwhile, Vader stalked towards the turbolift with Jared picking up his step to catch up.

"They're making it sound like we're the ones who have to deal with the Jedi," Jared said.

Vader eyed him for a moment and then continued on, "You agree?"

Jared shrugged, "Well, the Jedi technically are _our_ territory."

Vader frowned, "The Jedi High Council has historically kept strong ties with the Supreme Chancellor. Albrecht _has_ to live up to this expectation."

Jared shrugged, "Well it's not like he can 'Palpatine' his way through and appoint his own personal representative on the Council…like he did with Luke's…_dad_." Jared said, with some difficulty as the truth still boggled him occasionally.

Vader offered no reaction as he entered the lift and pressed for the lower hangar levels.

Jared continued, "They already know we exist. Why can't we do anything?"

Vader pursed his lips, deliberating many things.

He finally looked down at his son, "Not yet, Jared. But, in the meantime, there might be something interesting we can do to remind them how numbered their days are…"

Jared smiled enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>The Coruscant Naval Academy has greatly changed since the end of the Clone Wars. It was still a school for the affluent children of the Republic, but over the past decade it became the primary rival of another academy that educated the affluent children of the <em>Empire<em> (even if they didn't know it).

Luke was once one of those affluent children that attended the Coronet City Academy, a school for anyone who cared about their future in the Socialist Republic…or Empire.

For many, it was the Coruscant Naval Academy versus the Coronet City Academy.

And here Luke was, sitting among _Coruscant Naval Academy_ students at a popular hangout grill off campus.

Next to Luke sat his best friends Han Solo and Mara Jade, none of whom fully understood how bewildered Luke felt when he thought about how ironic his life had become. A year ago, he wouldn't be caught dead next to students wearing the 'enemy' uniform.

"Next time," Han said in between mouthfuls, "can you meet us here dressed in your Jedi getup? The ladies will think I'm cooler."

Mara laughed and Luke gave Han a hopeless look.

"But really, Luke," Mara began as her laughter died down, "how are things at the Temple? What have you been doing?"

Luke shrugged, "Well ever since my dad formed this team thing—"

"Hold up," Han interrupted, and Luke and Mara turned to him. "He's _your_ dad now?"

Mara smiled, knowing where this was going, and Luke rolled his eyes.

"Because before I thought he was just _Leia's_ dad."

Luke was seriously annoyed at this point, "I _meant_ Leia's dad…"

Han raised his eyebrows questioningly at Luke, "Remember he _is_ your father, I mean you can call him your dad whenever you want."

"Han," Mara addressed, "that's what he just did. You're only making it worse."

She turned back at Luke, "_Please_ continue."

Luke shrugged, "We haven't been doing much, really. They're training us, but in a more specialized and unorthodox manner. Each one of the Masters has their own specialty that they spend time practicing with us. It's like they're crossing the line of Jedi norms and foregoing the sole Master/apprentice thing when it comes to training."

Mara smiled, really interested. "What kind of training?"

Luke explained to his friends—or just Mara, because Han was too involved with talking to surrounding students in more 'interesting' stuff—about what he has been up to for the past week since the team was formed, particularly his experiences with the other Jedi Masters on his father's new team.

* * *

><p>As an older Jedi, but not the oldest as Masters Mundi and Kenobi still stood over her in seniority, Stass Allie was at the Temple most often and so she had the most time with the Padawans, teaching them about the Jedi Code—most particularly Luke, who grew up with a very different type of code—Jedi studies and the art of diplomacy. She was not what the Jedi would refer to as a "Jedi Guardian" with an aggressive response to strained relations. So in retrospect, her teachings were completely lost on the Padawans who chose the Guardian path over the Consular (mostly everyone except Hanalei).<p>

On the other hand, the younger Masters had plenty of time with the Padawans as well, specifically Ahsoka Tano and Aayla Secura.

The Padawans enjoyed their classes _much_ more when they were more active. Master Tano's favorite thing to teach and learn was Force jumping (as well as Force pushing and other telekinetic moves). The Padawans dedicated an entire day to simply jump around everywhere and seeing who could perfect the highest flip in the air (it was a tie between Luke and Jerome).

Master Secura stressed the fact that, if the Padawans were not fit enough, they would never live long enough to impress their foes with said Force jumping.

"How can you Force jump your way out of a fight if you can't even run up the Temple steps without panting once you reach the top?"

Master Secura said this with specifically Nick Misciewicz in mind, a boy who looked fine on the outside but had the endurance of a slug on the inside.

Master Secura took them to the gym and had them work on cardio. All was well until she took a second glance at Luke and Jerome, both of whom decided to forego the cardio workout and instead see who could bench press the most. Frustrated, Master Secura took the younglings out for a jog instead (which then turned into a full-out race between Luke and Jerome).

Master Kenobi caught wind of this and decided it was _his_ turn to mentor the kids. His specialty was meditation and listening to the Force.

"The Force isn't about who can run the fastest, it's about who can listen the closest."

He said this as he observed the seven Padawans in front of him sit cross-legged with their eyes closed.

"You don't want to be running so fast that you can't stop for the will of the Force—you could miss it in the blink of an eye."

Luke knew he was at a significant disadvantage here. Master Kenobi already thought he was a young and restless competitor like his father, but the Jedi Master also held many suspicions and questions about how Luke was trained for his whole life.

In all honesty, Luke had no idea what the Jedi expected of him. He simply imitated whatever he saw Corran and Jerome do. Yet he could still feel Obi-Wan's eyes on him when he was meditating, or whatever Luke's version of "meditating" was.

When all the other Padawans were done for the day, Obi-Wan asked for Luke to stay behind.

"How is the Jedi life treating you, Luke?"

Luke could tell that his father's old mentor was trying to establish a friendship with him. He shrugged, "Not bad. I don't feel much different, honestly."

Obi-Wan seemed to like this, "Did Vader's tutelage ever involve meditating?"

Luke shrugged yet again.

Obi-Wan smiled, "Don't judge it as an old man's sport. Meditation can be a valuable waste of your time."

Luke raised an amused eyebrow, but the Jedi Master only nodded, "If you're ever feeling confused or torn about something in your life, it helps to sit down and clear your mind. You are at your most focused when you let go of every thought and distraction and only allow for the Force to guide you."

Luke listened carefully and thought, just maybe, he'd take this old man's word for it. At least his advice could mean something to Luke in the long run…unlike Barriss Offee's guidance.

"We don't use the Force for destruction, younglings," Barriss Offee said once the Padawans were hers for the day, "We use it for healing."

Luke—who _always_ used the Force for destruction—just didn't agree. But he had to admit, watching Master Offee demonstrate the power of healing on patients in the Temple medbay was remarkable, to say the least.

But it was unfair to judge Master Offee solely on his own preferences. It was obvious that Hanalei and Rex (and even Corran) enjoyed learning about healing while the rest waited anxiously for the next of their lessons.

As a genius mechanic himself, Anakin Skywalker felt that it was his job to pass on everything he knew to the younger generations concerning machinery, robotics, and most importantly flying.

This was something Luke had been waiting for Anakin to teach him for a _long_ time. Anakin Skywalker was the greatest pilot in the galaxy—this is one trait that Luke had no question about in wanting to follow his father's footsteps.

"Are we going to fly today?" Luke asked as he got into his father's speeder that morning to head off to the Temple.

Anakin bit his lip, "Probably not."

Luke sighed, dropping his head back on the headrest. His father only smiled sympathetically, "Not everyone is ready to fly. Lola lacks any knowledge on how to operate a hyperdrive, Jerome can't even tell the difference between an R-22 and an R-41, and I suspect Hanalei has never even held a throttle before, knowing how much her master hates flying."

"So you're going to sit down and teach us?" Luke asked in a tone that was too suspiciously close to whining.

Anakin shook his head as he maneuvered the speeder through traffic, "No, we'll do some hands-on stuff. But we have to start small."

Luke sighed.

Anakin glanced at his son for a moment and smiled, "But if you'd like, I can teach you how to fly through a Coruscanti rush hour later this evening."

Luke immediately lit up, but that darned pride interfered anyway. "I know how to drive."

Anakin chuckled, "Say what you want, but I know you're excited."

Luke looked away and smiled and the speeder soon reached the Jedi Temple. The Skywalker duo walked in to find the six other Padawans in the hangar bay, just as Anakin had requested.

Luke went to sit next to Corran on the bench while Anakin brought over a crate of tools and held them out to the Padawans.

"Each of you take one and follow me."

After the seven of them took various wrenches, crowbars, and tools of the wrecking sort, Anakin led them over to a large room adjacent to the hangar occupied by life-size models of standard Jedi starfighters.

"There are three ships and seven of you," Anakin began. He studied the seven Padawans and decided that, of them all, Luke and Nick probably knew the most about ships.

"Nick and Luke will share the one on the far right," Anakin instructed. Nick and Luke glanced at each other for a moment, both of them still confused on what exactly it was that they were sharing.

"Corran and Jerome take the one in the middle," Anakin continued, "and the girls share this one." He came up to the closest ship and put a hand on its hull.

"Using your tools, you need to take the ships apart."

The reaction of the Padawans was taken aback. Hanalei audibly gasped, Jerome dropped the instrument he was holding, and Luke's eyebrows skyrocketed behind his bangs.

"We can't fly, but we can _take_ them apart?" Luke said, astonished.

Anakin gave a small smile at the group, "These are just prototypes; they can't fly. In fact, _you_ kids can't fly until you know your ship inside and out. Take it apart and study the parts, try to understand the build of a ship and why it's important. I'm sure there's a datapad somewhere around here with the manual on it."

The seven Padawans stared at the Jedi Master incredulously for a long time before moving towards their respective ships. When Luke looked back, Anakin was gone.

"Okay, what is going on Skywalker?" Jerome asked, annoyed.

Luke shrugged and looked back at the starship models, "It won't be that hard. They're small one-man ships, and they're _prototypes_."

Nick took a wrench and began undoing the bolts on his and Luke's ship. Everyone else watched him as he removed his first bolt and threw it into a nearby bucket. After that, everyone got to work.

It took almost two hours for the seven teenagers to fully take apart their ships, elongated by the pranks they played on each other.

Corran and Jerome became competitive quickly, wanting to do whatever it took to end up with a pile of dissected ship parts first. They tried confusing the girls by messing up the "organized" piles of parts they created, or by interrupting Nick and Luke with more _painful_ distractions.

At one point, Jerome noticed Luke scooting under his lowered ship and decided to "accidently" drop a bucket of bolts on his face (which Luke swiftly covered with his arm over his face, but became angered nevertheless). So Luke got up and took the longest rod of metal he could find and speared it at Jerome's back, who ducked, allowing the rod to instead fly right over him and straight into the windshield of the girls' ship.

Hanalei let out an audible gasp and the boys—minus Luke—all began laughing hysterically, Jerome still on the floor.

Lola gave Luke an angry look and Rex just laughed, not caring that her team's ship was literally falling apart.

So after all the shenanigans and the Padawans were finally done, Anakin came back to inspect the wreckage.

First, he looked at the girls' ship. They took it apart piece by piece and then organized the fragments into piles of similar parts. Anakin nodded approvingly until his eyes moved towards the pile of broken glass neatly amassed in its own heap. He raised an eyebrow at Lola, who only shook her head.

Anakin smiled and turned next to the boys' two ships.

In front of him, he saw a mountain of undiscernible metal parts and stray wires. The boys didn't even _attempt_ to separate their parts and organize them into groupings like the girls did. In fact, the boys didn't even separate the parts by ship. Literally, both ships were now broken all in one pile.

"How are you four going to fix it back up again?" Anakin asked, completely flabbergasted.

Corran's eyebrows shot up, "We have to put it back _together?_"

The rest of the boys groaned while the girls laughed at them.

* * *

><p>Back at the grill where the Academy teens all hung out, Mara smiled at Luke's long narrative.<p>

"Sounds like it's fun."

Luke shrugged, "It's something to do. But I feel like it hasn't even started yet. We haven't really done anything all together as a team. I feel like the older Jedi are still planning something."

Han smirked and put his elbows on the table, "You think you guys will go on any missions across the galaxy?"

Luke chuckled, "I'm not really sure what we'd be _doing_ across the galaxy. I have no idea what Anakin's game plan is."

Mara beamed at Luke, "So you didn't get to fly today _at all?_ What is your dad _doing_?"

Luke smiled, "I think he realized it was a mistake to make us tear a ship apart today, next time he'll probably let us in the simulations."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Han asked.

"Well Master Mundi still didn't see us yet; tomorrow's his day."

Han grinned, "What's his specialty, anything good?"

Luke smiled, unable to contain his excitement, "Oh yeah."

He got up from the table as he realized his mother wanted him back home before 2100. His friends got up too to say goodbye.

Han clapped Luke's shoulder, "What's tomorrow?"

Luke's smile grew wider, "Lightsabers."

* * *

><p><strong>So I hope you guys will be happy to know that I have a lot of BIG plans coming up! All it took was a day of me sitting in my government class feigning note-taking when I was really plotting the next several chapters of this fic. Hope you all like it :)<strong>

**I just wanted to clarify something that most of you have probably caught up on. The time differences between some of these chapters vary. Sometimes I post a chapter that takes place directly after the previous chapter, but sometimes a chapter happens after a little time skip. For example, this chapter takes place about a week after last chapter. I just hope you all are following along with the time scheme. Luke has been living with the Skywalkers for little over half a year now. He was "arrested" towards the end of the last summer, and right now it is sometime in the Spring. I hope it's not confusing; if you have any questions I'll gladly answer them!**


	64. Chapter 64

**CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR**

Due to the special occasion of Master Ki-Adi Mundi demonstrating his advanced lightsaber techniques to the younglings of the Force Fourteen, the eight of them were able to reserve a whole practice room all for themselves.

"Before you can call yourself a master of this ancient weapon," Master Mundi began, addressing the seven students sitting cross-legged on the floor mats in front of him, "You have to become a master of its techniques."

Master Mundi ignited his own blue weapon and the Padawans watched in awe and excitement as he swished it through the air. Unlike his peers, Luke kept a straight face devoid of any enthusiastic emotion…but he was bubbling on the inside as the buzzing hum of Jedi Master's lightsaber called out to Luke welcomingly.

Master Mundi deactivated his weapon but kept it in his grasp, "We're going to skip the first of the seven lightsaber techniques because I know everyone here is familiar with the basics. All right, everyone up."

Lola, Nick, Jerome, Hanalei, Rex, Corran, and Luke all stood up and brandished their lightsabers but kept them unignited. The masters had decided earlier that they were going to allow their apprentices to use their real weapons instead of practice ones.

"Understanding the history of the lightsaber forms is as important as understanding their procedures," Master Mundi said as he paced in front of the boys and girls, "Form II came from an era when engagements against Dark Jedi were the norm. _Makashi_, as we call it, is the preferred style for composed lightsaber-to-lightsaber dueling. It is undoubtedly the most disciplined and the most elegant of the traditional forms."

Master Mundi stressed the importance of well-balanced footwork. The Padawans each paired up to practice the stances. Due to the uneven number, Master Mundi demonstrated with his own apprentice, Lola. Jerome paired up with Hanalei, Nick with Rex, and Corran faced Luke.

"Before fighting commences, it is customary to raise your blades in a salute before flourishing them."

Master Mundi said that this form was dubbed 'The Way of the Ysalamiri,' but after learning that this form condemned any leaps and acrobatics, Luke redubbed it 'the way of the boring.'

"The next is Form III, _Soresu_."

Master Mundi instructed the group to practice tight moves, subtle dodges, and short sweeps to minimize body exposure.

"It's all about being on the defensive," Master Mundi said as he walked from Padawan to Padawan, "with this form you can protect yourself from _any_ other form of attack."

Lola turned to Jerome with a smile, "This is my favorite form."

Jerome shrugged, "But there's no fighting involved."

"Form IV is _Ataru_, the Aggression form," Master Mundi said after he was satisfied with everybody's attempts at the previous form.

"This form is typically, ah, discouraged for Padawans to study…" Master Mundi said with an uncharacteristic smile, "But we're breaking all the rules here anyway."

Luke learned why in fact this was an unpopular form for masters to teach their students. With all the acrobatics involved, Luke thought he and his fellow classmates would explode with all the energy.

They were finally putting all their tricks to good use. This technique was all about speed.

"When done correctly, you can appear like a blur to your opponents."

Master Mundi made the students practice somersaults and cartwheels along with their lightsaber swishes, saying that it was all a part of the technique.

"I advise you to only use this form when faced against _one_ opponent," Master Mundi said in a more serious tone later on, "Only a true _Ataru_ master can prevail against several enemies with this technique."

Suddenly a thought occurred to Jerome, and he turned to give Luke a wary look. Was it so smart to teach a Sith apprentice all these new tricks?

Luke saw Jerome staring at him and in return winked at him. Jerome completely stopped in his tracks and Luke had to turn away to hide his chuckle.

"Form V is very popular among many Jedi Guardians," Master Mundi continued on with his lesson, "This form requires a higher level of physical strength, unlike the previous form which required speed."

"I might as well sit this one out," Hanalei muttered, causing a few chuckles among the other Padawans.

"There are two versions of this form," Master Mundi continued, "the first one, _Shien_, is used when you are outnumbered by your opponents. Unlike Form III, this form can be used to redirect blaster fire back at your enemies."

Master Mundi instructed each Padawan on how to direct their weapons when wanting to redirect blaster bolts.

"Form V's second technique is _Djem So_, which follows the same philosophy of turning an enemy's attack on him or her, but is optimized for strenuous lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat."

Luke remembered Anakin once say that this particular form was his preferred method of fighting.

"Some of the other Masters consider this form an inappropriate discipline for Jedi. But those are the same Jedi that have a too conservative view of applying compassion to the Force."

Luke smiled to himself, thinking about how Anakin was the complete opposite of a "conservative" when it came to compassion.

"Looks like you won't be able to follow in your father's footsteps," came Jerome's annoying voice, interrupting Luke's thoughts.

Luke turned to Jerome and raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

Jerome shrugged, smiling. "Form V is for a Jedi with a 'towering stature' and 'imposing musculature'…not a _short_ fourteen year-old boy."

Luke suddenly saw himself smiling with enticement, "Oh yeah? You wanna go?"

Jerome laughed out loud, attracting the attention of Hanalei who was standing nearby, "A real duel this time?"

Luke scowled, "_You_ were the one who started throwing punches last time."

Jerome scowled back at him, "Fine. After dark, so none of the Masters are here. One week from today."

Luke narrowed his eyes up at Jerome, "You're on."

Hanalei approached the two boys, "You two are _not_ planning another fight."

"This doesn't concern you, Hanalei," Jerome said, not breaking his stare-off with Luke.

Hanalei sighed hopelessly and turned her attention back to Master Mundi who was about to continue his lightsaber lesson.

Luke and Jerome eventually turned back to watch the Cerean master, too, while still standing near each other.

"The final form I am going to teach you is Form VI, _Niman_."

Luke tuned the rest of the lesson out, as he was too busy thinking about his impending duel with Jerome next week. Besides, this form had nothing special about it.

"This form," Master Mundi said, "might not have any specific strengths or weaknesses, but it is the preferred method of Jedi Consulars who have not chosen to make a career out of combat. They use this form as it is the hybrid of all the other forms."

Jerome turned to flash Luke a taunting smile, "Pay attention, this might be for you."

Luke flashed Jerome a disgusted look and turned his attention back to Master Mundi.

"Many Jedi who use two lightsabers implement this form of fighting, so don't completely disregard it as useless."

Lola leaned into Corran's ear, "I'm working on a second lightsaber."

Corran's eyebrows rose in surprise, "That's so cool! So are you going to focus on this form?"

Lola shook her head, "No, I'm not too fond of telekinesis."

Corran frowned, "Who said Form VI had anything to do with TK?"

Lola raised an eyebrow and pointed Corran back to the direction of her master who was still instructing the rest of the students.

"—integrating your Force abilities is encouraged and helpful, especially for this next move that I'm going to show you called the 'Draw Closer' that uses telekinesis to—"

Corran turned back to Lola with a grimace, "This might not be the form for me after all."

Lola only chuckled.

* * *

><p>The Padawans had spent the entire day with Master Mundi practicing their lightsaber techniques and finding their favorite methods. By the time they were finished, the sun was already setting on Coruscant and the seven teenage Jedi were all hungry for dinner.<p>

The seven had recently made it a norm to sit all together whenever they got the chance. They would take an entire table for themselves in the cafeteria, causing the other Padawans to look over at them with a sense of envy and annoyance while the Younglings watched them with reverence.

Corran smiled as he settled into his chair with his tray of food in front of him on the table, "They think we're a bunch of tools."

Rex snorted on her blue milk. The other Jedi in training might think that the seven who now belonged to the elite Force Fourteen were just showing off, but everyone at the table decided that their exclusive dinners were very much acceptable, even the sensible Lola Mersu.

Lola shrugged, "Eating together is a form of team bonding."

"Yes, maybe we should spend more time _bonding_ than planning our next _duels_," Hanalei said, rolling her eyes.

Rex's eyes popped out, "Who's dueling?"

Corran laughed, looking between Luke and Jerome, who were sitting on opposite sides of the table, "Is it not obvious?"

Nick beamed, "Great, now I have something to look forward to!"

Rex tilted her head, smiling between the two, "Did today's lesson influence this duel at all?"

Hanalei gave Rex an astonished look, "You sound like you're condoning this."

Rex laughed, "Aw come on, Hanalei, it's fun!"

"As a matter of fact," Luke said, speaking for the first time, "today's lesson _did_ influence the duel."

Jerome smirked, taking a sip of his own beverage.

"Are you going to have a traditional lightsaber duel?" Corran asked, "You know, like with Form II?"

Luke and Jerome both frowned, glancing at each other.

"No, but that's probably a better idea…"

"Oh, are you chickening out already, Skywalker?" Jerome asked

Lola frowned, "What was the original plan?"

Hanalei rolled her eyes, "They were going to _battle_ each other with Form V."

Nick raised his eyebrows, "Are you guys even ready for that? Form V requires a lot of strength and…"

The five other Jedi both stared at Luke and Jerome, who both frowned at the apparent insult.

"So Skywalker's a little stump…"

"Yeah, and Landski's twiggy—"

Jerome frowned at Luke, "Twiggy? I'm not twiggy."

Luke shrugged, "If you're not twiggy, then I'm not 'a stump'—"

"Enough of this!" Lola interrupted, "Jerome, you're not as muscular as you think you are."

Luke actually laughed at this, but stopped when Lola turned to face him next.

"Luke, you're still short."

Luke rolled his eyes and went back to his dinner. Jerome sighed, "I guess we can put off the duel until we've both done a little more weight lifting."

The rest of the seven chuckled and went back to eating their dinners, putting a pause to the table conversation until Nick brought it back.

"I wonder if they'll ever teach us the _last_ lightsaber form."

Luke frowned and looked up at Nick, "What last form?"

Jerome and Lola glanced at each other uneasily before returning to their dinners.

Rex noticed this too, "What was that?"

"There's another lightsaber form?" Corran asked.

Hanalei tilted her head, "We skipped over Form I."

Nick smiled mysteriously, "Not Form I, Hanalei, Form _VII_."

"Enough, Nick. We _won't_ be learning that one." Lola said sternly.

Nick shrugged and took a long sip from his blue milk and glanced at Luke, who continued to stare at him pensively.

* * *

><p>At some point after dinner, Anakin finally showed up to take Luke back home.<p>

"Where have you been all day?" Luke asked, annoyed that he had been stuck at the Temple for so long.

Anakin shrugged as the two continued to walk down the grand hallway of the temple, "I was at the Senate with your mother."

Luke raised an uninterested eyebrow, "Something amiss?"

Anakin pursed his lips, "Not quite yet, we only—"

"Master Skywalker!"

Anakin and Luke both turned around to find Corran running down the hall waving his arm, "Don't leave yet!"

Anakin felt a twinge in the Force; something was not right.

"What is it, Corran?" Anakin asked as the young fifteen year-old boy slowed down.

"There's a package addressed to you."

Anakin frowned, "A package?"

"More like a whole crate," Corran corrected.

The young Padawan led Luke and Anakin down to the room in which the delivery was waiting for Anakin. When the three entered, they found Ahsoka and her own apprentice waiting.

"We thought you already left," Ahsoka said, standing near the crate.

Anakin stepped closer to the long crate sitting on the table in front of them.

"The package is addressed to you, Master Skywalker."

Anakin frowned, eyeing the large crate. Jerome handed him the note that came with the delivery.

Luke took a step closer to the crate. He scrunched his nose as the strange smell emitting from it became stronger and much fouler with each step.

"Does that smell funny to you too?" Jerome asked Luke, observing his reaction. Luke nodded with a sour look on his face.

Anakin hesitated before activating the message.

_"__Dear Anakin,_

_Congratulations on the achievement of your new team. I look forward to seeing you in action after so many years of hiatus._

_Send my best regards to your family,_

_DV."_

Anakin's stomach dropped.

He couldn't take his eyes off the words. He read them over and over again in silence with the rest of the occupants of the room staring at him suspiciously.

Anakin deactivated the message and slowly lowered his arm, turning his attention back to the large crate in front of him. He spent a long time looking at the box that his arch nemesis had sent him, wondering what kind of horror laid beneath.

Vader was watching them, that much was clear. But now he was also taunting him.

The message was a cordial way of saying "bring it on."

"Can I open the crate?" Luke asked.

Anakin, too frazzled to answer, only looked at his son with wide, shocked eyes.

Luke hesitated, suddenly aware that this was an abnormal situation.

Anakin came up to the crate sitting on the floor. He cringed at the foul smell.

"Is there an opening?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin looked around the crate, his eyes stinging with the smell that seemed to get fouler by the second, and shook his head.

Corran came over with a crowbar and handed it to Master Skywalker, who only nodded at the young boy.

Everyone took a step back as Anakin had to pry the top board of the crate off with the crowbar. It was _really_ sealed shut. Once the lid of the crate hit the floor, Ahsoka let out an audible gasp. Corran clasped both hands over his mouth and nose and Jerome stepped away in horror.

Anakin stared at the contents of the crate for a long time with no outward emotion. Luke slowly stepped forward, his eyes widening with the realization of what this was.

Senator Matthias Bassa, the brave dissenter of the Empire who had attempted to spy on the Death Star Command for the Jedi Council, dead.

No—not dead.

_Destroyed_.

His body was fragmented and scattered throughout the small crate. His rotting purple skin explained the foul smell. The only reason that the inside of the crate was not doused in blood was due to the fact that a lightsaber would typically seal the wounds on the skin, minimizing blood spillage.

Luke realized that he didn't even need to read the message to know what this was about. This was Darth Vader's revenge.

Senator Bassa was a traitor to the Empire—he got what was coming to him. Luke couldn't take his eyes away from Vader's craftsmanship. He had to wonder how long Bassa was actually dead, when Vader did the final deed. He was staggered that Vader actually did it himself. Or did Jared do it?

So many questions ran through Luke's mind that he forgot to ask himself the most important one: where did he fit into all of this?

Luke was not just an observer—he was next on Vader's hit list.

"Anakin," Ahsoka said quietly.

Anakin snapped out of his own reverie and turned to his former Padawan, "Ahsoka, I don't want to see this anymore. Have someone remove it properly and immediately."

Ahsoka nodded and watched as Anakin stormed out, practically fleeing the scene. After one last look at the fragmented corpse, Luke followed behind.

Ahsoka and the two young Padawans were left alone with the unwanted gift on the table.

"Should I go call for somebody?" Corran asked the Jedi Knight, his queasy voice making it clear that he would do just about anything to get out of the room.

Ahsoka nodded slowly, taking a step closer to the crate.

Corran ran out, leaving Jerome alone with his master.

"What does this mean?"

Ahsoka shook her head, "I'm not sure."

Jerome contemplated for a moment, "Is it…a warning?"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, "If it is, we're ready. The shroud of the Sith has fallen. They can't hide anymore."

Jerome scowled, "Luke didn't seem so surprised. I bet they did this kind of stuff all the time."

Ahsoka gave her apprentice a stern look, "Luke is good at hiding his emotions. He must be scared. Bassa was a traitor to the Empire, and he was punished for it. But Luke betrayed Vader, too."

Jerome considered it for a moment. Luke was just a kid—three whole years younger than Jerome—and he's probably seen a lot more in his short life than Jerome could ever dream of.

But then again, how suspicious was it that Luke actually ran away from someone like _Darth Vader? _If a high-profile politician like Senator Bassa couldn't be saved with all the security at his fingertips, then how could a kid like Luke Skywalker run away with no immediate consequences?

Jerome looked back at the decaying form of Senator Bassa and repressed a gag.

Darth Vader was a disgusting human being, and he must have taught Luke everything there was on how to be a sick, twisted person just like him. There was no way that Jerome would ever see through Luke's innocent façade, no matter who believed him.

Luke could fool _Anakin Skywalker_ into believing he has changed; but to Jerome, Luke Skywalker would always be a corrupt Sith apprentice and the murderer of his best friend.

* * *

><p><strong>I just wanted to say thank you to all my readers, it means so much to me that people actually enjoy my writing and look forward to the next chapters! And in light of reaching 600 reviews, I want to make a special shout out to the regular reviewers. Your feedback never goes unnoticed! Particularly ILDV, who has been reading since the beginning (2011!). Second and third place go to Mireilles3 and Will Zona, respectively. Honorable mentions go to Nelianieki, Beautiful Pirate, DVNIKKI, and konoitam :) Thank you all for your continued support!<strong>


	65. Chapter 65

**CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE**

The day following the delivery of Darth Vader's "gift" to Anakin Skywalker allowed Luke to finally see a side of his father that he never imagined existed.

Anakin Skywalker was typically an easy-going guy, and yes Luke has seen him angry before, but he never thought he'd see the day when Anakin would be completely…_paranoid_.

Anakin stayed home all day; one minute he would be pacing around the living room wondering what in the world he was going to do, another minute he could be lying down on his bed with the feeling that he was already defeated before he even got a chance to fight.

"Ani, you're making this a lot bigger than it is," Padmé said at one point, trying to comfort him.

"Padmé, he sent me a crate with a dead body inside."

They were sitting side by side on the couch in the living room. Padmé took Anakin's hand into her own and gave him a soft smile, "He knows he can't face you personally. It's all a bluff."

Anakin turned to her exasperatedly, "Was he bluffing when he built a space station with enough fire power to destroy an entire planet?"

Padmé frowned and tilted her head, "No, but—"

"Was he bluffing when he kidnapped our son?"

Padmé's frown turned into a scowl, "Anakin, stop. Vader is a coward. The only way he could accomplish anything is through secrecy. But the secret is out in the open now."

Anakin shook his head and looked away, "I don't think so, Padmé. I think it's about to get so much worse…"

Padmé sighed and looked away too, "Ani, we can stop this. I know we can. We just have to…"

Anakin looked at her hopelessly, "We just have to what?"

Padmé shrugged, her husband's permeating her emotions.

"Padmé," Anakin said, drawing her attention again, "he sent me Bassa's dead body. That wasn't just a prank—that was a threat."

Padmé closed her eyes, "I'm not sure what we're supposed to do, Ani."

Anakin stood up and Padmé's eyes followed his motion.

"I refuse to live in fear," Anakin declared, "and we can't protect the twins any more than we already are."

"But by what you told me, it sounds like he's after Luke. He wants to punish him for deserting."

Anakin put a hand up to his chin, "Yes, but he's much too busy to come after Luke himself. He'd send his son, Jared."

Padmé clasped her hands together on her lap, exasperated, "So then _Jared_ will come after Luke. Either way, someone is coming after him."

"Yes, but we've known that since day one."

Padmé tilted her head, "On day one we didn't know dangerous people were after our son. We can't leave him without Jedi supervision, Ani."

"Well what about Leia?"

"Her, too."

Anakin groaned and sat back down, "We can't keep doing this forever."

"Only until it's over."

"But what if it never ends?"

Padmé frowned, "You want our children to attempt to live normal lives when there's a huge threat hanging over their heads?"

Anakin shook his head, "No, but I want them to at least try to fend for themselves."

Padmé put her face in her hands and shook her head, "This is all so wrong…"

Anakin silently agreed, putting an arm around her. This was never the way their lives were supposed to play out. The Clone Wars was supposed to put a stop to all the hiding and worrying. The twins were never supposed to be thrown into another galactic struggle at such a young age. They deserved a normal, stable family. Not a high-profile Senator for a mother and a prominent Jedi Master for a father.

But duty was duty; the two young parents were never able to relinquish their roles because the galaxy kept springing up new trouble…and it seemed to take the biggest toll out on their family.

"We need a plan," Anakin said suddenly, causing Padmé to come out of her reverie.

She only looked at him with attentive eyes.

"We need to have a set of agendas in order to stop the Empire."

Padmé could see the wheels turning in Anakin's mind, "What do you propose?"

Anakin smiled, "Call your friends and bring them to the Temple. I refuse to sit around any longer."

* * *

><p>It was now late at night.<p>

Anakin had to suspect that Vader had people watching the Jedi at all times; therefore, he requested that the top Loyalist leaders—Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and his wife—all arrive separately in different disguises. They would be sent to the same windowless room that they watched Senator Bassa's feed from the Death Star in a couple months ago.

There was a bit of an argument over who exactly was going to attend this meeting.

Plo Koon, a member of the Jedi High Council, reminded everyone that the reason Anakin formed this team in the first place was to separate the Council from the efforts to undermine the Sith. But Jedi like Mace Windu and Master Yoda knew that the whole point of the Jedi Order was to maintain peace _and_ undermine the Sith.

Therefore, the only Masters to be present at the meeting were the seven Jedi in the Force Fourteen along with Master Windu and Master Yoda.

At this, Luke was furious.

"Aren't we a part of the team, too?"

Anakin sighed, "Luke, it's not a real team. That's just what the Padawans called it. _We're_ still in charge."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "I know you're in charge, but we should at least attend and listen to what you guys will talk about if it's going to involve us too."

"Yeah," Leia agreed, coming out of nowhere.

Luke and Anakin stood arguing outside on the landing platform of 500 Republica, the Skywalkers' home. Leia came out and both boys stared at her.

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Leia, what does this have anything to do with you?"

Leia's face contorted, "If this whole family is going to be at this meeting, then I am too! I'm not staying home alone."

Anakin gave Luke a look translating that this was all his fault. At this Luke just smiled triumphantly and followed his father into the speeder (with Leia following into the backseat).

This led the way to further argument at the Temple.

"I think you should be grateful that Master Skywalker decided to let the Padawans attend the meeting in the first place," Ahsoka Tano said to her own apprentice as they walked down the temple hallways to the meeting place.

Jerome rolled his eyes, "I am. But I'm concerned that he's making a bad decision by letting his _son_ attend. What if he's actually a spy?"

"I'm not going to listen to your Luke conspiracies anymore, Jerome!"

Jerome sighed and continued to follow his master into the room. He found the rest of the Padawans, Leia Skywalker, and even Winter Retrac sitting in the back. Jerome walked over and sat next to Hanalei.

"What's the deal with Winter?" Jerome whispered in her ear.

Hanalei shrugged, "Same reason Leia's here. She didn't want to stay home alone."

Jerome shook his head, "One mutilated dead body shows up at our doorsteps and suddenly everyone's afraid to be alone?"

Hanalei didn't answer and instead turned to face the front of the room where Anakin Skywalker and her mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi were discussing.

"It has nothing to do with that," Anakin was saying.

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. He wasn't present when Anakin and Ahsoka got their dreadful delivery, but he heard much about it from everyone else. He hardly even had the chance to talk to Anakin since then.

"I feel like all your priorities have shifted," Obi-Wan said, concerned, "You've become increasingly paranoid."

"Better to be paranoid than completely naïve," Anakin retorted. He switched the next part of his address to the rest of the occupants of the room, "We've been too naïve over the years."

"I beg to differ," Mon Mothma replied, sitting at the same table as the other senators. "The _Jedi_ have been naïve. The Chandrilan Assembly has always kept a close eye on our next door neighbors in Corellia."

Anakin put his hands on his sides and raised an eyebrow at the almost too-confidant senator. "We're not talking about your disagreements with the socialist government. We're talking about the _people_ who run them."

Senator Mothma mimicked Anakin's raised skeptical eyebrow, "You can tell a lot about a certain type of people by the way that they run their government."

Bail and Padmé both sighed and looked in the other direction.

Mon turned to her friends with mock surprise, "Oh, forgive me, I forgot I was in the presence of Socialist sympathizers."

The kids in the back, who were prepared for an open discussion of their future plans, were completely unprepared for the bickering that appeared to occur next.

Bail and Padmé both whipped their heads to look at the Chandrilan senator.

"Sympathizers?" Padmé repeated incredulously.

Mon shrugged, "We're talking about the Corellian politician that conveniently turned out to be a Sith Lord, correct?"

Padmé and Bail—and the rest of the Jedi in the room—just stared at her.

Mon's eyebrows were sky high, "What's with all the confusion? You all pretend you were naïve to the Sith's existence, but I could argue that you went a step further by helping them out. Bail, as a fellow Core World leader, you not only did nothing to stunt the spread of socialism, but you openly engaged in business deals with the new Socialist Republic of Corellia."

Bail frowned, taken aback, "There is nothing wrong with Corellia itself, Mon. They're our next-door neighbors, of course we're going to continue to trade with them—"

"And in turn, encouraging their corrupt government," Mon interrupted.

Bail frowned, "Just because socialism doesn't work on _our_ home worlds doesn't mean it can't work on Corellia."

"Oh, I'm not talking about their economic practice," Mon clarified with indignation clear in her voice, "I'm talking about their totalitarian _regime_."

Padmé frowned, "Mon, before we learned that their president was actually a Sith Lord, we never saw it as a 'regime'."

Mon turned to Padmé next, "Padmé, can you deny that it crossed your mind to join the Socialist Party when it was first formed?"

Padmé's frown deepened.

Mon pursed her lips, apparently pleased that she was right all along, "And who exactly was it that invited you to all those socialist conventions and galas on his home world?"

Padmé's frown morphed into a full blown scowl, "He was a good liar—"

"Well it seems like your family has an apt for falling into the hands of good liars!"

Padmé gasped, Anakin's eyes widened at the gall of Senator Mothma, and everyone else was clearly surprised at such a comment given by the expressions on their faces. In the back, Luke's jaw dropped and Leia slapped a hand over her mouth. Jerome slightly sniggered, but Hanalei elbowed him in he ribs.

Mon acted like she didn't know why everyone was so surprised, "You don't remember Palpatine? The Sith that spawned Vader and all of his ambitions to take over the galaxy?"

None of the Jedi said a word. Palpatine's deception was one of their greatest failures. How could a Sith Lord gain so much power while the Jedi sat idly across the street?

Mon sighed and folded her hands on the table, resting her case.

In the back, Luke and Leia just glanced at each other, both of them feeling the increased tension among everyone in the room, especially from their parents.

"Senator," Obi-Wan said after a long silence, "On behalf of everyone in this room that agrees with me, I'm sorry we mistook your speculations over the years as frivolous conspiracies. It seems as if the conspiracy has become the reality—it always has been."

Hanalei smiled, proud that she was the apprentice of such a wise man. With his words, Obi-Wan relieved much of the tension in the room.

"But we know our mistake. We're no longer going to sit around and watch. We're going to take an active response to this situation."

The room became silent again, as people began to think, until Master Yoda spoke for the first time.

"Than you can imagine, much more difficult this will be."

Everyone turned their attention to the old Jedi Grand Master who sat in his own chair next to Mace Windu.

"To remove the Sith legally, few rights the Jedi have."

Mon frowned, "But the Sith are despots, they completely denounce democracy—"

"The law doesn't see it that way," Obi-Wan replied, "In front of the law, they are only a group of people who hold different views than the Jedi. And in front of the law, that is completely acceptable."

Padmé, too, was only hearing this for the first time, "If their views are evil and _dangerous_—"

"Can't you _arrest_ Vader for any of his crimes? For stabbing Master Skywalker?" Bail asked.

"For building an illegal weapon?" Mon added.

Obi-Wan and Anakin glanced at each other.

"No," Ki-Adi Mundi answered instead, "he has too many supporters."

Mon sat back in her seat, "Perfect, another civil war."

It seemed, at this point, that the adults spent more time sitting around and thinking than actually coming up with any plans.

"If we can't _do_ anything…" Bail said slowly, at a complete loss for words, "what can we do?"

Anakin took a deep breath, "We can—and we will—stop them in other ways. And first thing's first, we have to bring systems back to our side."

"That won't be easy," Mon said, "In fact, it will be next to impossible. Vader did a good job at using a popular trend like socialism to attract people to his cause."

Bail nodded, "Especially poorer systems—they will not be quick to give up an economic structure that has become so integral to their lives."

"Then we have to teach them," Obi-Wan answered, "Socialism is a respectable idea tainted by _not_ respectable people."

Padmé nodded, "Make sure they know that there is room for systems who prefer socialism among Loyalists to the Republic."

"Alright, but _how_ do you suggest we do that, Anakin?" Ahsoka asked from the side.

Anakin's brows furrowed, "One at a time. And we'll start with Abrion Major."

The other six Jedi in Anakin's team all looked at their forerunner questionably.

"Why the random choice?" Mundi asked.

"Not random," Anakin replied, "Abrion Major was always important to the Republic. When they seceded during the Clone Wars, it hurt our efforts and stunted out import of necessary resources."

"Abrion Major is an agricultural system," Mundi said, "and we're not in war. So, in essence, they aren't hurting us with their socialist alliance as much as systems like _Eriadu_ are."

"Abrion Major may be small, but their economy is large," Anakin retorted, "And that takes me to my next point—stop the money flow to the Death Star."

"And stop the creation of their army," Padmé added, "The Death Star is nothing without the thousands—if not, millions—of men and women that operate it."

"I suppose that could be something we could accomplish in the Senate," Mon said, thinking out loud, "We could propose legislation to bar the development of any military organization that does not adhere to Republic standards."

"I like that idea," Bail sat up, "It would give us a stronger reason arrest members of the Socialist Party that actively help Vader's army creation."

"But Anakin's right," Padmé added, "this will never pass in the Senate unless we have more systems on our side."

Anakin nodded, smiling at his wife.

"I guess we can work out the specifics of Abrion Major among ourselves," Obi-Wan said after a pause in the conversation. "Though I'm still skeptical of this system being your first choice, Anakin."

"Abrion Major's senator is a woman that has been around since the Clone Wars," Anakin explained, "And she was close friends, almost like a mentor, with Senator Bassa."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and nodded, "Ah, yes."

It finally hit the Jedi—it all made sense. Anakin wanted to use Vader's cruelty to dissuade people from the Socialist Party.

"In that case, I want to go," Ahsoka said.

"You and I will go together," Anakin replied, his voice becoming grim when he revisited the image of the mutilated senator lying in a crate.

The three senators stood up to say their farewells, as it had become very late. Padmé decided last minute to stay behind and go home with Anakin, leaving Mon Mothma and Bail Organa to leave together.

Winter had to say goodbye to Leia quickly in order to catch up with her adoptive father, who seemed to forget that he brought her with him in the first place.

The three were now walking across the grand Temple halls together—Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and his ward, Winter.

"You should have probably used your words more wisely, Mon," Bail said once there were no Jedi nearby, "You can't just call Padmé and Anakin out on how much they've been manipulated by the Sith in the past—especially when you refer to them collectively as a family."

Mon sighed, "I realized it sounded harsher than I intended it to…"

Bail shook his head, "No, it's a lot more sensitive than that. When you say 'family,' you're including their children, too."

Mon's eyes slowly widened as she realized what her longtime friend and partner meant.

"Luke was sitting in the back of that room. You're just lucky Padmé didn't say anything."

Winter frowned, listening in on her father's conversation, "What exactly was that all about anyway? Luke did make a weird face when you said that, now that I remember."

Mon looked at Winter and then back up at Bail, "You never told her?"

Bail sighed and looked down at Winter, "I'll tell you at home."

Mon shook her head, not agreeing with Bail's policy on keeping vital information from young children, and reached for her comlink to call for her transport.

"Oh, I forgot my comlink back in the room," Mon acknowledged, "I have to go back. I'll see you tomorrow, Bail."

"Goodnight, Mon," Bail bid and then continued walking out with Winter alongside him.

* * *

><p>Back in the room where the meeting took place, many of the Jedi filtered out to go to their rooms and rest. The only ones left were the Skywalkers and Ahsoka Tano. Jerome decided to wait for his master outside the room to avoid sitting awkwardly with the twins—one of whom he actually used to be friends with.<p>

"We'll go whenever you're ready," Ahsoka was telling Anakin, "But I think we should also take the young ones with us. It could represent a sort of change in the Jedi Order, especially with our new 'team.'"

Padmé made a face, so Ahsoka continued to assuage any doubts, "It's a diplomatic mission, by the sounds of it. There shouldn't be any danger. Bringing the young ones will show that we are not the Jedi we once were."

Anakin slowly nodded at this, but then the thought occurred to him that it would mean Luke and Jerome would be alone together. That was never good.

"Yes, but I could take Leia with me instead." Anakin said suddenly.

Padmé frowned, "Leia?"

Anakin shrugged, "Leia's always liked your work more than mine, and since this is a diplomatic mission, she might actually learn something."

Ahsoka, who also secretly liked the idea that this alternative would mean Luke and Jerome wouldn't be stuck alone together in a compact ship for hours, felt compelled to add another reason that would make this plan more appealing to Padmé.

"If we want to show a change in the Jedi Order, it would seem even better if Anakin brought his daughter, who holds almost no connection to the Order besides the fact that half her family belongs to it."

"Perfect," Anakin smiled, "We'll plan the trip tomorrow."

Padmé smiled, happy that there was finally progress. "While you find more ways to bring systems back, it will give me time to start drafting a new bill to limit military expansion."

Anakin stopped in his tracks, "What?"

Padmé frowned, "What do you mean, _what_? We just talked about this, Anakin."

"No," Anakin clarified, "Mothma talked about it. Mothma is doing it, not you."

Padmé's eyes widened at Anakin's boldness and Ahsoka suddenly felt very awkward standing in between a possible marital argument.

"Padmé, do you remember what happened the _last_ time you tried to fight against the military in the Senate?" Anakin said, recalling the pre-Clone Wars fiascos, "You were on the hit list of at least a dozen different separatists."

"Anakin, you have no right to tell me that I can or can't do something in the Senate. You have no business interfering in my job as a politician."

"As a Jedi, yes I do," Anakin countered. The twins were now both watching the argument that was unfolding between their parents, and Ahsoka wanted more than anything to find an excuse out.

"It's my job to make sure you're protected, and letting you be the forerunner of that type of legislation would be irresponsible of me."

Padmé raised a seriously bewildered eyebrow, "What exactly do you think is going to happen to me if I introduce a bill in the Senate? It can't be much worse than what's happened to me in the past."

Anakin frowned, "I just don't want _you_ to do it. Let someone else be the face of the opposition for once. Let someone else be the target—not you. I don't have time to worry about even more threats…"

Padmé sighed, "Anakin, you _are_ paranoid."

Anakin almost smiled, "One of us needs to be."

"We're going to discuss this at home," Padmé said.

Anakin shook his head, "There's nothing to discuss at home—"

Padmé's jaw dropped, "Oh, _yes_ there is—"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, outside the meeting room where Anakin and Padmé's argument could faintly be heard, Jerome Landski waited for his master.<p>

He was surprised when he saw Senator Mothma returning to the site.

"I forgot my bag," she explained with a tight smile.

Jerome nodded. He watched the senator approach the door and then hesitate. She looked back at Jerome, "Are there people arguing in there?"

Jerome shrugged, "Only the dysfunctional family of the year."

Mon actually smiled and walked back over to where Jerome was waiting, deciding that she would wait rather than awkwardly intrude on a heated conversation between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala.

"Dysfunctional, huh?" Mon repeated. She remembered Bail's comment about Luke moments earlier. "And are you close friends with the younger generation of their dysfunction?"

Jerome almost chuckled, "Not particularly."

Mon raised an eyebrow, "But I've heard that people generally love the twins."

Jerome shrugged, "Leia's alright. But her brother…"

Mon decided to see how much this young Jedi Padawan related to her own theories regarding the newest member to the Skywalker household.

"I'm grateful that he appeared at the time that he did, or else who knows how long it would have taken everybody to realize that there's a threat larger than life hanging over our heads?"

Jerome shrugged.

Mon continued, "Although, I have to admit, I have my suspicions."

Jerome's face brightened, "Really?"

Mon shrugged, "I've learned that Vader is a smart man. A man not to be trifled with." She chuckled, "It's hard to imagine young Skywalker under his tutelage for ten years."

Jerome nodded, "Sometimes…I feel like he's a spy."

He said this quietly enough that no passerby in the completely empty hallway would have heard it anyway, but Mon was still taken aback by Jerome's straightforwardness. He seemed like the same kind of conspiracist as her—a legitimately concerned individual who needed his voice heard.

"I bet that theory is not too popular with the masses here," Mon commented lightly.

Jerome shrugged, "They refuse to consider it. But you said it yourself, Darth Vader's elaborately smart. How perfect would it be to brainwash someone who will always have a place among us—the son of Anakin Skywalker—and then send him back knowing that he will be received with open arms, only to act as a spy? It's the perfect plot!"

Mon Mothma stared at the young seventeen year-old for a long time with unchanging expression. Did he sound ridiculous? Slightly. But could she see the possibility in what he was saying?

Most definitely.

The senator was given no time to respond because the doors behind her finally opened and all the last occupants of the room exited.

Ahsoka met up with her apprentice, who gave Mon Mothma one last indiscernible look before he and his mentor left.

Mon suddenly felt very uncomfortable standing alone with the family that she may or may not have seriously insulted earlier and decided to rush back into the room to find her bag. Thankfully, when she came back out, the four of them were gone.

Mon Mothma stood alone in the middle of the vast halls of the Jedi Temple when an ugly thought suddenly occurred to her.

How much different were the Sith from the Jedi? Yes—the Sith aspired to take over the galaxy… But besides that, they were like the Jedi in almost every other way.

Mon never really understood the beliefs and practices of the Jedi; she was always told that they were here to protect the galaxy, and that was that. But what exactly have they done to protect the galaxy recently? Thanks to their stubbornness and ignorance, there was a new threat to the democracy of a republic that she revered so deeply.

And if the rumors she once heard were correct, then this newly discovered threat to the galaxy was once a Jedi himself.

Mon Mothma continued on her way out the temple with a new determination set in mind. She would do whatever it took to remove the threats that the Socialist Party posed on the Republic…but she would also be skeptical of the Jedi Order…and never trust them again.


	66. Chapter 66

**This chapter is dedicated to the upcoming Mother's Day (and the readers who requested a Luke/Padme moment)...**

**MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX<strong>

Luke stayed in bed for a long time the morning after his father and twin sister departed for the outer rim planet of Abrion Major, though it was pretty much noon by now. He had no idea if his mother was still home or not, which would leave Luke all by himself in the large and vacant 500 Republica penthouse.

Anakin and Leia set out for their week-long trip along with Master Tano and Jerome, even taking Artoo with them, which left Luke hopelessly alone in this house with only Threepio (whom he would shut off at the first sign of annoyance) and his _mother_…

Luke understood why Anakin didn't take him along with him on this mission. There would have been no action anyway, and Luke didn't want Jerome to be his only other companion. But at the same time, Luke has still never gone on any mission with his father. In fact, Luke had not left Coruscant at all since he came last summer.

Did he feel snubbed? Well, maybe, but not to a point where it really affected the fourteen year-old in a negative way. Perhaps the only thing that bothered him about the predicament was the fact that, for the rest of the week, he had nothing to do…and he was all alone with his mother.

Normally, it should not bother Luke that he had no real plans for the next whole week. It wasn't like Luke's life on Corellia was _that_ adventurous in comparison to his life _now_. Sure, there were periods of time when Vader would bring Luke along on some secret excursion, but really the only time he left Corellia was when he travelled to the Death Star.

Thinking about the Death Star made Luke wonder what all was going on in the bustling battle station now. What was he missing out on? Where was the station orbiting? Who was currently overseeing the moon-sized weapon?

It's funny how much a person can take for granted something that they never paid any attention to when they had it. How many times had Luke dreaded going to the Death Star in the past? Often times he would see the ominous space station as his own personal prison. All Luke ever wanted was to come to Coruscant and finally take part in the real action.

But here Luke was, on Coruscant, taking part in the "action."

Luke could spend hours and days and months convincing himself that he was doing the right thing by joining the Jedi…but a part of him would always wonder what he was what he was missing out on—what he would be doing had he never left Corellia that fateful day last summer.

Luke rolled over to lie on his back, his eyes fixed on the white ceiling above him.

He _had_ to stop thinking about the 'what ifs' and start living in the present moment. He knew that if he stayed on his current course of thoughts, he could possibly lead himself to a very dangerous place.

Luke hated feeling like he had lost his sense of direction. It had seemed that when he was with the Empire, he always had people telling him what to do and where to go…he never had to think for himself. But now, Luke was surprised with all the amount of thinking that the Jedi life had afforded him. All he did was _think_ all the time; he thought he would go insane.

Perhaps some human interaction was sorely needed?

Luke turned his head to look at his bedroom door. The door that led to the rest of this house. The door that led to his mother.

_Maybe_, Luke thought to himself, _Padmé isn't even here. Maybe she's at work._

Luke sat up on his bed and drew his knees closer to himself as he considered it further.

_Maybe she's at the Senate with Bail Organa. And maybe Mon Mothma is with them._

Luke smiled sorely. _Maybe Mothma's paranoia is keeping Padmé busy. If Padmé's busy, she won't be coming home anytime soon._

Luke threw his legs over the side of the bed and got out of his slumber nest with a new resolve to start the day. Somehow, thinking that he had the house all to himself made him feel awake and rejuvenated.

_Padmé won't be back until later tonight because she's too busy listening to Mon Mothma's drivel._

With a wave of his hand, Luke telekinetically opened the curtains to his wide, wall-encompassing windows—allowing the midday sun to fill the room—and headed off to the refresher.

* * *

><p>When Luke walked downstairs and into the kitchen, he wasn't ready for the truth to assault him so quickly.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Luke blurted, as he had spent the last half hour convincing himself that he was all home alone. He wasn't ready to find a woman sitting at the kitchen table with a datapad in hand, reading its contents.

Padmé looked up from her work and gave Luke an amused smile, "Good morning to you, too. Or should I say, good afternoon?"

Luke stared at her, completely confused, for an entire ten seconds before speaking again.

"Why aren't you at work?"

Padmé raised an eyebrow, "It's the weekend."

Luke turned for a moment, eyeing the staircase, wondering if he should just go back to bed.

"Do you want to eat breakfast?" Padmé asked nicely, completely aware that her son would rather confine himself to a room all by himself for a week rather than talk to her.

Luke looked back at her and blinked.

Padmé shrugged, "Unless you're the type of person who just skips breakfast altogether if the morning has passed and moves straight to lunch."

Luke's eyebrows creased. His mother was trying to pose a philosophical question about food while he was still too shocked at the fact that she wasn't at the Senate. He stared at his mother for a long time, wondering if she would just go back to her work and give up trying to talk to him. But she didn't budge. He felt compelled to answer her, almost as if it would be rude not to.

"I don't think it really matters. Why does certain food have to be considered 'breakfast' or 'lunch' food?"

Padmé tilted her head, her lips forming a smile, "I guess it may not matter to some. But I wouldn't like to eat anything too heavy or spicy in the early morning. I guess that's why we leave the more time-consuming foods to make for the evening and the simpler foods for the morning."

Luke didn't even have a response anymore. What was even going on right now? He was standing in the middle of the kitchen talking to his mother about when it was the right time to eat breakfast foods versus dinner.

Padmé laughed, coming to the same realization as her son.

"You still haven't answered my question. What do you want to eat?"

Luke shrugged and sat down at the table across from his mother. "If you're having lunch now then I will too."

Padmé smiled and got up from her seat, heading to the conservator, which stored the food in the kitchen.

While his mother scoured the shelves for food, Luke glanced at the datapad that Padmé left on the table. He leaned over to get a closer look; she was reading about a Jedi Master named Nejaa Halcyon.

Luke frowned, unable to remember how or where he knew that name from. He straightened back up and folded his hands over the table, awaiting Padmé's return with whatever food she might bring with her. Luke realized he was hungry enough to eat just about anything.

Padmé smiled at Luke as she brought over two plates of sandwiches and set them on the table.

"Are you enjoying learning from the other masters at the Temple?" Padmé asked.

Luke shrugged, inspecting his sandwich, "It's not boring."

Padmé collected her things off the table and tucked her datapad away, finally settling back down on her chair for lunch.

Luke picked up his sandwich, "Who's Nejaa Halcyon?"

Padmé didn't seem too surprised with the question, "He was a Jedi Master."

"Was?"

Padmé nodded nostalgically, "No one is quite sure what happened to him."

Luke frowned, "Wait, what happened?"

Padmé set her sandwich down, "He was a Corellian Jedi."

That was all she needed to say for Luke to understand what she meant.

In a time before the Socialist Republic of Corellia, there was a special group of Jedi that could call Corellia their home. This Core World planet's culture was heavily influenced by the presence of the Jedi who chose Corellia over Coruscant. These Jedi separated themselves from the High Council on Coruscant; they lived their lives with their own rules, many of them even getting married, but all of them dedicated to the protection of their beloved home planet.

Nonetheless, this was from a time before the _Socialist_ Republic of Corellia—the current name of the Corellian government.

When Malek Vader became the President of Corellia, a year before the end of the Clone Wars, he brought more changes to the system than the dissolution of the monarchy had hundreds of years prior. Yes, he restructured the economic system of Corellia and reformed CorSec into a fiercer army-like force. But President Vader also reshaped Corellian culture by his gradual condemnation of the Jedi.

"_You have to take baby steps_," Luke remembered Vader once saying, telling him about the Jedi, "_If I had started off with 'the Jedi are evil parasites,' then no one would've believed me. I started off small, by pointing to the fact that the Jedi treaded as if they were above the law. It's unbelievable how simple it can be to convince the public to hate a group of people that they share no similarities with—the Jedi and other non-human alien scum._"

Vader was a mastermind at creating unrest. Only one year after holding his office—only a few months after the Galactic Republic reinstated a new Supreme Chancellor and the Clone Wars officially ended—President Vader was able to convince the general Corellian public that the Jedi had no place 'occupying' their planet.

So when Luke's mother told him that Nejaa Halcyon was a 'Corellian Jedi,' Luke understood what she meant…by 'Socialist' standards. He knew what she meant by the standards that his biased socialist education gave him. Nejaa Halcyon was a parasite that had no place on Corellia.

Luke stared at his mother for a long time, studying the expression on her face. She was eating her sandwich, but she was thinking about whatever it was that she read from that datapad. She was thinking about Nejaa Halcyon.

Luke vaguely knew what happened to the Corellian Jedi, but he didn't know what Padmé knew.

"I was never an expert when it came to the Jedi and their practices," Padmé said after a long silence, "even after marrying your father. But the topic of the Jedi was a popular one, especially during the war. The Separatists typically viewed the Jedi in a negative light, and I think they still do. When the war finished, I remember a lot of discussion about whether or not it was right to spread Jedi missionaries around the galaxy to rebuild peace and pro-Republic sentiments. They called it Reconstruction."

Luke listened intently. This was not the type of information that the Socialists would have taught him.

"Well," Padmé continued, "the Jedi—and the Senate—were so focused on reintegrating the Separatists back into the Republic that we completely neglected to see blatant Jedi discrimination happening right next door to us…on Corellia."

"It happened slow enough that no one really noticed," Luke offered.

Padmé nodded, "Until it was too late. It's funny—something I've never really thought about before—but how could a common hatred of the Jedi be considered 'socialism'?"

"Because the Jedi are parasites," Luke answered right away. He frowned once he realized what he was saying, "Or at least, that's what they think."

Padmé tilted her head, "The Jedi provide a certain, government-like good for the people. You could argue that the Jedi are just another branch of the government—a service that could be provided by any other Republic agency. How does that clash with the ideals of socialism?"

Luke frowned, unsure of how to answer. Luke knew the practices of Corellia's socialist government front and back… but when it came to the Jedi, he was always told that they were evil and there was no other explanation needed.

Padmé nodded slowly, coming up with her own answer to her question, "The truth of the matter is, it's not _socialism_ that is incompatible with the Jedi—it's Vader."

Hearing his mother pronounce his name in such a derogatory tone almost made Luke cringe—_almost_. It was times like this when he was genuinely befuddled on whether the facts he grew up with as a child were really 'facts' after all. All Luke knew was that Darth Vader was _never_ wrong…but when his mother slammed his beliefs so logically like she just did in front of him, Luke had to second-guess.

Luke came to the conclusion that there was a fine, blurry line between 'right' and 'wrong'—and sometimes it felt like both the Jedi and the Sith could be categorized on either side.

At this time, both of their lunches were finished, but they remained sitting at the table. The sun shined brightly on them, as Padmé's home was coated wall-to-wall in windows, and all that could be heard was the soft zooming of speeders and other flying vehicles out in the Coruscant air.

"Corellian Jedi like Nejaa Halcyon," Padmé broke the silence, returning to their original topic of conversation, "came to Coruscant with pleas for help. Everyone shook him off. No one believed that a system like _Corellia_—a system _so_ loyal to the Republic—a system that valued its Jedi heritage more than its _whiskey_—could possibly have issues."

Luke stared at his mother for a long time, digesting her words, until finally he broke a smile.

"I think that last one was a bit of a stretch."

Padmé raised an eyebrow.

"Corellians _love_ their whiskey."

Padmé actually laughed out loud as she got up from her chair, glad that her son turned the conversation around to a more light-hearted note. She took the two plates from the table and set them next to the dishwasher for Threepio to operate later.

"You know, with all that we say about Corellia, it's important to remember to differentiate the people of a system from their government, no matter how 'bad' we think it is."

Luke bit his lip and nodded slowly, still unsure if he actually 'hated' the Socialist Republic of Corellia.

"I thought you guys said that the governments weren't what was bad, but the people running them."

Padmé shook her head, "No, I mean the normal people. The citizens of Corellia who probably had nothing to do with the state of their leadership."

Luke shrugged, "Well, they _did_ vote for it…"

"Yes, but did they know they were voting for a Sith Lord that wanted to use Corellia's location and influence to gradually take over the galaxy?"

Luke remained silent.

Padmé smiled, "My point, Luke, is that there is no need to hate _Corellia_ as a whole. No good ever comes from stereotyping and hating an entire group of people."

Luke looked down at his hands for a distraction, wondering if Padmé wasn't actually talking about Corellia, but was instead talking about the Jedi Order.

Padmé smiled, "But no matter what they do in the future, it will never stop me from loving Corellian fried ice cream."

Luke's eyes lit up, "You eat that?"

Padmé laughed, "I think we need a well-deserved ice cream break."

* * *

><p>There was a famous district in the Galactic City known as the Collective Commerce District, or CoCo Town. An upper level district full of exclusive stores, restaurants, and old-style diners, CoCo Town was a popular place to go for leisure and fun.<p>

Due to its close proximity to the residential area of the Senate District, Padmé and Luke forwent the speeder ride and simply walked to their point of destination.

"They opened a new plaza here," Padmé said as the two walked down the bustling sidewalk of pedestrian shoppers, "it's considered a multicultural hub of different systems and peoples all around the galaxy."

Luke nodded as they reached this plaza, understanding what his mother meant by 'hub.'

This entire street was dedicated to stores and restaurants of non-Coruscant cultures. He saw stores of all different kinds: a high-end Alderaani restaurant, a Mandalorian grocery, a Huttese nightclub.

Padmé's smile widened, "They recently opened a Naboo hair salon, which reminds me: you need a haircut."

Luke ran his right hand through his lengthy blonde locks, "Thanks but no thanks."

"Don't blame me if Leia starts asking permission to braid your hair. She's done it to Anakin several times."

Luke chuckled, "My hair hasn't yet touched my shoulders, I don't think she'd have anything to braid."

Padmé smiled and turned to spot the place she was looking for. Luke turned too, and by the looks of it, it was one of the most popular stores in the area.

"It's a Corellian market and restaurant. Most people come here to stock up on liquor, but their groceries are actually worth coming for, too."

"Do senators do their own grocery shopping?" Luke wondered.

Padmé laughed, "No. But I come here for their desserts. I have an incurable sweet tooth."

The two entered the Corellian food place and exited with a bowl of fried ice cream each. Luke couldn't actually believe that here he was, with his mother, on Coruscant, eating Corellian fried ice cream.

"I forgot how much I liked this," Padmé said as they walked down the sidewalk once again, "Leia inherited her father's disdain for unhealthy food. I can't even remember the last time I've had regular ice cream."

Luke smiled and shoved another spoonful into his mouth, "Do you think they've arrived yet?"

Padmé scoffed, "I doubt it. Abrion Major is all the way in the Outer Rim. It will take them more than a day to fly there."

Luke chuckled to himself. His twin sister was stuck in a spacecraft with Jerome while he was out here eating ice cream with his mother.

He looked over at his mother and watched as she, too, scraped the bottom of her bowl for melted ice cream. He couldn't believe what luck he's had with finding his real mother, and finding out that she was not some poor lowlife who gave up her son but rather an esteemed senator and former queen.

Luke almost laughed when he remembered the first day he ever met Padmé. Anakin had warned him not to disrespect his wife at all, because she had "a lot of class." Luke had no idea that his wife was the famous Senator of Naboo. Sure, any politically-informed person in the galaxy knew that Senator Padmé Amidala was the wife of Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker. If you didn't know that, you were living under a rock because it was literally the biggest scandal to ever come from the Jedi and it happened only fourteen years ago.

Not to say that Luke was never politically informed; he was just informed with whatever it was that _Darth Vader_ wanted him to be informed about.

It was times like this when Luke couldn't remember why he ever hated Padmé. What had she ever done to him? Luke hated Padmé for things that _Vader_ did to him.

Luke thought about how he tried to avoid Padmé this morning, but here he was out on the town with her.

How was it that he had two completely different, conflicting emotions when it came to his family?

Luke looked at Padmé and saw all the love and nurturing he missed out on as a child. But deep inside, Luke knew that at any moment his opinions of her would change again and he'd go back to hating Padmé and questioning why he ever left the Empire.

Was it because Luke was still indecisive? Was it because a part of him loved being a Sith, but a part of him loves having a family too? Was it because Luke still couldn't define for himself what the difference between right and wrong was?

"Luke," Padmé's voice rang, and he was torn out of his reverie.

"You look like you're thinking too hard," Padmé commented.

Luke frowned but didn't answer.

"Try not to overthink things, sweetheart, you'll only confuse yourself."

Luke's frown morphed into a look of utter disbelief as he turned to look at his mother. There was no way that she could know what he was thinking about.

Padmé only smiled, "It's just the look on your face. I've seen that look—on Anakin. Overthinking never leads to happy results."

Luke regarded his words but offered no reply.

Yes, the thought of betraying Darth Vader occasionally made Luke feel sick to his stomach… But the thought of betraying this woman somehow made Luke feel sicker.


	67. Chapter 67

**CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN**

Leia twiddled her thumbs as she sat on the couch in the common area on the ship that would soon arrive at her destination.

She looked up to see the same scene before her that she laid witness to for the past several hours: Jerome sitting on the other side of the room with his feet crossed up on the caf table in front of him and a datapad in his hands. He read silently for the entire duration of the trip, besides the few hours that he would spend sleeping. He hardly said two words to Leia.

Leia sighed and got up from her seat, heading to the cockpit. Inside, she found her father and Master Tano sitting in the piloting chairs and quietly discussing something. Anakin stopped and turned to look at his daughter, "Leia, how have you been?"

Leia shrugged, "Bored. When are we getting there?"

"We had to take a detour around the Dufilvian sector," Anakin explained, "so it will be a little longer. But I expect to be there by dawn."

Leia inwardly groaned, causing Ahsoka to smile.

"Why don't you get some rest so you won't feel tired tomorrow?"

Leia shrugged as she walked out, "Alright."

Jerome looked up from his datapad as Leia came back into the room and plopped on the couch in front of him.

"Did they tell you our ETA?"

Leia shrugged, "Sometime around dawn."

Jerome frowned, "What's the delay?"

"Apparently we can't pass through the Dufilvian sector, so we took a detour."

Jerome groaned, "I hate this part of the galaxy."

Leia raised her eyebrows, "Why?"

Jerome shrugged, "It's just so…uncivilized. So many systems boycotting the Republic, like the Dufilvian sector, and then you have Hutt Space up to the North. It's just a big cluster of unpleasant places, to be honest. This end of the galaxy is a prime location for corruption."

Leia tilted her head, "I never thought of it that way."

"Take Kamino, for example," Jerome explained, "It's only a few parsecs away from Abrion Major, yet for several years in Galactic history it was considered a nonexistent planet. It's _that_ kind of corruption that allows Sith Lords like Palpatine to create massive armies."

"But it's shut down now," Leia retorted, "all of the cloning facilities on Kamino have been shut down."

Jerome shrugged, "Kamino _is_ shut down, but how do we know that some _other_ establishment didn't steal the secrets to their cloning?"

Leia stared at Jerome for a long moment before answering, "Is that a serious speculation or is it just another one of your conspiracies?"

Jerome frowned, "It's just a thought; I don't know who's been spreading this rumor about me that I'm all into conspiracies now."

Leia rolled her eyes, causing Jerome's frown to deepen. He took his feet off the table and leaned forward, "Look, I'm sure there were people many years ago who believed in some sort of Socialist plot to take over the galaxy, and we never believed _them_ or even considered it. I bet they're laughing at us now."

Leia raised a single eyebrow, "Oh yeah? Who are these people?"

Jerome shrugged, "There are many of them, many groups. That's what I've spent the duration of this trip reading about."

Leia frowned with interest, "Really? What kind of groups?"

"Mostly capitalist groups," Jerome shrugged, "At least, that's how they began. But after a while, they began to realize that _socialism_ wasn't the problem—it was Vader."

"All of these groups knew Vader was the problem right away?" Leia asked incredulously. "It makes me feel stupid that no one in the Republic did…"

Jerome shook his head, "Not exactly. I was only reading up on Corellian groups—people who have had brushes with Vader personally when he was president. That's the reason they never became widespread-famous; other planets saw them a 'local' interest group."

Leia frowned, "So only non-socialist Corellians saw the problem?"

Jerome shrugged, "Well, mostly. Of course, there were people like Mon Mothma."

"_Mon Mothma_," Leia reacted bitterly, "lost my respect after she _insulted_ my family."

Jerome sat silently for a moment, staring at Leia. "So, have I lost your respect as well?"

Leia stared back at Jerome, too, for a moment. She spoke subtly, "I don't understand why you hate him."

Jerome raised his eyebrows, "Oh really? You weren't there that night when we heard—"

Leia interrupted him with a hand up in the air, "I know what I heard. But… I don't believe it."

Jerome was taken aback, "You _heard_ it, he didn't _deny_, and yet you don't _believe_ it?"

"Luke is a good person."

"It's not who you are underneath," Jerome retorted, "but your actions that define you."

Leia narrowed her eyes and arose from her seat. There were a couple rooms in the back of the ship with beds, and she decided that this was where her conversation with Jerome ended for the night.

* * *

><p>Abrion Major is an agriworld, meaning that the entire industrial capacity of the system was devoted completely to agriculture. Worlds like Abrion Major produce far more foodstuffs than what could possibly be necessary for its own population. The surplus is exported to many other worlds that cannot sustain the food needs of their own population with their own resources (for example, Coruscant).<p>

When the four visitors stepped off their starship, they were presented with a view that (at least for the younger two) was not a regular scene.

"It's all farm land," Leia commented.

Anakin nodded, "Well the spaceport is a little outside the capital. But I promise you, there _are_ buildings."

Ahsoka laughed and the four of them walked over to the transport waiting for them.

As promised, the capital city of Abrion Major—simply referred to as Abrion—contained buildings. But it was hardly a "city" by Core standards.

"I do like this weather, though," Ahsoka commented as the four got out of their speeder and headed towards the capitol building.

Leia smiled and tilted her head up so that her face could receive a full blast of the sun.

Anakin didn't smile; he kept his eyes forward and tried ignoring all the Socialist banners that hung from the flagpoles. They were the same banners that all Socialists adorned—they were present in the Senate building on Coruscant, but not like they were here.

As Anakin looked around at all the Socialist insignias, he realized that this was the first time that he brought his daughter to a Socialist system.

Once they reached the top of the steps of the capitol building, they were greeted by the senator of the Abrion Major sector herself: Esu Rotsino.

Esu Rotsino, to Anakin's knowledge, was a strong-willed woman who cared about nothing except for her planet—a respectable characteristic. She had represented this sector in the Galactic Senate for over seventeen years; her face almost revealed how much she had aged… Or was that grief?

"Welcome, Master Skywalker, Master Tano," Senator Rotsino greeted with several aides and guards at her side.

Anakin and Ahsoka bother bowed their heads and then walked through the large double doors into the building that more or less controlled every aspect of this planet and every other world in the Abrion Major sector.

The Jedi and Leia followed the senator down the grand hall of the capitol building. Leia looked around her and noticed the splendor of this building. Perhaps she was just naïve, but it was peculiar that an agricultural system like Abrion Major would boast such a grandiose capitol building…but then again, perhaps it was because this was the only building that outsiders would ever come to see.

The inside of the building represented the culture of the entire world. The elements used to construct this building were all found in nature; no artificial substances were used (which is a nice plus for a planet responsible for providing food to much of the galaxy). The floor was all made of marble, and the ceiling was adorned with dark umber wood. The only significant details about the walls were the fact that it was almost completely lined with large, open windows that allowed the fresh air to waft through. Besides this building and a few other homes and plazas in the center of town, all Leia could see out of the window were rolling hills and fields.

"What a bright sun," Leia commented.

"I've seen brighter," Anakin replied.

"I must say," Senator Rotsino said as they continued walking down to her office, "I was quite distressed to hear your message."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, "We only wanted to come to talk."

The senator nodded, "Yes, but the Jedi have not come to 'talk' to us in a very long time."

Anakin and Ahsoka exchanged glances and continued walking.

Senator Rotsino stopped outside of a set of large double wooded doors, "Do you all want to come in?"

Leia looked up at her father, "I can wait out here if you want."

Anakin nodded, "Yes, you and Jerome can take a walk."

Anakin and Ahsoka walked into the senator's office with the senator following right behind them. Leia and Jerome watched the door close and then looked at each other.

"Take a walk?" Jerome repeated.

Leia shrugged, "Maybe we can learn more about this planet."

* * *

><p>Senator Rotsino adorned a tight smile as she lowered into her chair behind her large wooden desk, "Your Padawan looks young, Master Skywalker. I'm surprised you would bring her all the way out here."<p>

Anakin and Ahsoka both sat down on the seats in front of the senator's desk.

"Well she's not my Padawan, she's my daughter."

Rotsino raised her brows, "I wasn't aware you had a child."

Anakin smiled, "I have two."

"Their mother is your colleague, Senator Amidala," Ahsoka smiled.

Rotsino nodded, "Oh yes, now that I think of it, I do remember hearing about that."

Anakin and Ahsoka glanced at each other again, realizing that they had to get down to business now that the small-talk was dwindling.

"You must have heard about Senator Bassa," Ahsoka said softly.

Senator Rotsino took a deep breath and looked to the side, avoiding the Jedi Knight's gaze.

"He was a close friend, wasn't he?"

The senator nodded, "He… was a good man."

"I don't disagree with you there, Senator," Anakin commented.

Rotsino folded her hands over her desk, "Did you come here to talk about Matthias's legacy?"

Anakin and Ahsoka glanced at each other before the former answered, "No, we're here to talk about the corruption of the Socialist Party, and how he spent the last few hours of his life trying to make a difference."

* * *

><p>"Leia, I don't think we're allowed to be back here."<p>

As Anakin and Master Tano were in the senator's office, Leia and Jerome had been wandering the halls of the capitol center of the Abrion Major sector.

Leia shrugged, "Relax, Jerome, we won't get in trouble. If anyone asks, you'll remind them that you're a member of the Jedi Order on a diplomatic mission to Abrion Major."

Jerome frowned, "Well that's not technically speaking a lie, but if we run into anyone with an 'Empire' state of mind, if you know what I mean, then we'll _really_ get in a pickle."

Leia smiled calculatingly, "You really think there are some people hanging around this building that believe in the Empire?"

Jerome raised an eyebrow, "We're in a building run by Socialists; there's bound to be at least one who works for the Empire."

Leia gave Jerome a smile, "That's why we need to be extra observant."

* * *

><p>Senator Rotsino stared at the famous Jedi Master for a long time. The expression on her face revealed no emotion whatsoever; but she was in the presence of Anakin Skywalker. Only he could tell how indecisive she was inside.<p>

"How well did you know him?" Anakin asked, attempting friendly conversation. The senator saw right through him and scoffed.

"Why do you care?"

Anakin shrugged and leaned back in his seat, "I want to know if you were more loyal to _him_ than to higher members of the party."

The senator frowned indignantly, "He was my good friend. Nothing saddened me more than when I received the news of his death."

"Who told you?" Ahsoka asked, "A biased Socialist who more than likely told you a lie?"

Rotsino frowned, "Matthias _is_ dead, _that_ is not a lie."

"We're not denying that," Ahsoka answered without skipping a beat, "But if you were truly Senator Bassa's friend, you would not still consider yourself a member of the Socialist Party had you learned the truth of his death."

Rotsino's face warped with confusion.

Anakin sighed, "We don't know why you would want to be a member of that party at all, frankly. They do nothing but exploit you and your economy."

Rotsino forced a laugh, "If only you knew, Master Jedi. The Socialist Party has done more for Abrion Major than your Republic bureaucrats could ever manage. When has the Republic ever cared about anything that didn't benefit the top one percent?"

Anakin sighed and clasped his hands together, preparing for the onslaught of accusations that the senator was about to unleash.

"Do you see this building? It was newly constructed only a few years ago. It was a gift—a gift from the Socialists, because they have a greater picture for this galaxy than your corrupt Republic does."

"Senator," Anakin addressed as he stared at her desk, "Why are you a member of the Galactic Senate?"

Rotsino shook her head, "For my people! I only care about what's best for them—so they don't get misused."

Anakin raised his brows, "Couldn't you have taken a local government position to complete that job? Why did you have to entangle yourself with greater galactic matters?"

Rotsino remained silent.

"I know you want to see a change," Ahsoka said, speaking for Anakin who only watched the senator, "But fighting it from the outside doesn't help anything. You remember the Clone Wars—"

"I _do_ remember the Clone Wars," Rotsino said coldly, "However I wonder if you were old enough to as well."

Ahsoka frowned but kept her retort to herself. Anakin spoke again, "So you must remember how miserably you and the rest of the Separatists failed."

"I remember that I wish they didn't."

"Do you know why they failed?"

The senator sighed, "Are you here to lecture me on some secret plot the Sith have to take over the galaxy? I swear, it's all you Jedi ever worry about."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "You may not have known about Dooku when you joined the Separatists all those years ago, but you cannot deny that you don't know anything about Vader. The fact that you know about the existence of the Death Star is enough."

Senator Rotsino stopped in her tracks and stared at Anakin for a long moment.

"Don't play games with me, Senator," Anakin answered calmly, "I overheard Senator Bassa's com call with Natasi Daala—the _admiral_ of the Death Star. You were in the same room as him."

The senator nervously swallowed, her mouth becoming dry. "You have no proof of anything."

"I don't need proof," Anakin said, "Because I'm not here to arrest you."

Rotsino narrowed her eyes.

"I'm here…to _convince_ you."

The senator sat back in her chair, looking between the two Jedi in front of her with a mixture of interest and suspicion.

* * *

><p>"Leia, you know we're doing something wrong if we have to hide behind a door and whisper."<p>

"Shh," Leia responded.

Just as Jerome narrated, the two were crouched behind a door attempting to listen to a conversation occurring within the room on the other side. Moments ago, they had watched as several individuals piled into this small room. This could have been anything, of course… But the fact that most of them were humans set off an alarm in Leia's mind.

"Abrion Major doesn't have a high population of humans," she reminded Jerome.

"Yes, but what if they're just delegates from other planets—like _us_?"

"Something's not right, I just feel it."

Jerome sighed but didn't argue.

_"__I just got a signal from the front office_," one of the occupants in the room said to the others, _"__The Corellians are here."_

Both Leia and Jerome's eyebrows skyrocketed.

"Wow, Leia, your instinct was right."

Leia frowned, "Why are we so quick to assume that anything that has to do with Corellians is shady business?"

Jerome shrugged, "Because Corellians are evil."

Leia shook her head, "That's stereotyping."

"Shh, here they come."

The two hid as they watched Abrion guards escort a man and a woman into the conference room. Leia couldn't see anything off about them, but they were not wearing anything with the Socialist insignia on it.

_"__Welcome, Ms. Masdacus, it's such an honor,"_ Leia and Jerome heard a man say, greeting the guests after the door shut behind them.

The woman that had just arrived went straight to business, at least by the sound of her voice, _"__Where's Senator Rotsino, I was told that this meeting would be with her."_

_"__She's in a meeting with two Jedi,"_ the man's voice responded.

_" __Jedi?"_ The woman repeated, _"__I wasn't told that they were going to be involved."_

_"__They're not; they'll leave soon enough."_

_"__Well if you expect Madine to negotiate with Jedi sympathizers than you have reached out to the wrong organization. We're very skeptical of the Jedi."_

_"__So are we,"_ the man replied, _"__We don't want them to be a part of anything that this new alliance could entail."_

_"__We have a few requests,"_ A different man said, and Leia assumed that it was the man that accompanied Ms. Masdacus into the room. _"__We want you to review the points on this contract. The C.L.O. has strict rules when it comes to who exactly in the government is involved."_

_"__Would you feel more comfortable if we left the Abrion Major Council out of the negotiations?"_ The first man—who presumably represented Rotsino—asked.

Ms. Masdacus spoke again, _"__We would like it to go through the Senator first. If she does not agree to our deal, we would rather disappear without making it look like we ever came in contact with you all."_

_"__I understand."_

Leia looked up at Jerome, who seemed to be just as confused as she was. They heard footsteps coming from the door and made a run for it—they ran all the way back to the main hall, back into to a crowd of people, before anyone even saw them.

"That conversation was sketchy," Leia panted as they arrived back to hide among more populated portions of the building.

"There was one thing that stuck out to me," Jerome said, looking around him with paranoia in his eyes, "it was a name, I think. Madine."

Leia nodded, "The woman said Madine, and the second man said C.L.O., do you know what that is?"

Jerome shook his head, "They said something about an organization; maybe that's the name of it?"

Leia drummed her fingers over her chin, "Who is Ms. Masdacus and why did they make her sound important?"

Jerome shrugged, "Being polite? I don't know, but I've never heard of her."

"The man said it was an honor for her to come."

Jerome made a chuckle, "He's trying to kiss her ass?"

Leia elbowed him in the ribs, "Watch your language."

"I really feel like I've heard of a woman named Madine before," Jerome thought aloud.

Leia pursed her lips, "Hm, do you think they're Socialists?"

Jerome shrugged, "I don't know, but I didn't like how they bad-mouthed the Jedi."

Leia shrugged, "What, no one's allowed to criticize the Jedi anymore?"

Jerome shook his head, "No, but I immediately assume that anyone who hates the Jedi is up to no good."

Leia bit her lip as she thought for a moment and then pulled out her comlink.

"Who are you calling?" Jerome said, looking around to see if anyone was watching them suspiciously.

"Luke."

Jerome rolled his eyes, "Yeah you're right, he would probably know a lot about anti-Jedi organizations."

Leia shot Jerome a dirty look and then headed for the large double doors that led outside. Jerome sighed and followed after her.

* * *

><p>Rotsino must have known she was being backed into a corner; she expelled a deep sigh and folded her hands over her lap.<p>

Anakin knew that senators such as Esu Rotsino who have been sitting on the lap of Socialist propaganda for too long would be mistrustful of the Jedi. He wanted to show her that he was not here to get her into any trouble. He wanted to be smarter about how he dealt with socialist converters ever since his mishap with Senator Bassa.

With that in mind, Anakin reached into his cloak and pulled out a small object in his hand.

Rotsino narrowed her eyes as Anakin placed the small object in on her desk. It was a gold ring.

The senator gasped, "Where did you get that?"

Anakin stared deeply into her eyes, studying her reaction. "Do you recognize it?"

Rotsino gently picked the ring up and held it up to her face. Her eyes widened, "Yes, I do… This was Matthias's wedding ring."

Anakin and Ahsoka glanced at each other and the senator looked up at them, "I attended his wedding. My father was close friends with _his_ father. We were like… Like brother and sister."

Anakin sighed, the next words he had to say being difficult. "I urge you to reconsider your ties with the Socialist Party. They will only use you and then throw you aside once you deem to be useless to them."

Rotsino took her eyes off the ring and frowned at the Jedi Master, "_How_ did you get your hands on this?"

Anakin lowered his gaze, "I pulled it off his finger when his casket was sent to the Jedi Temple."

The look in the senator's eyes was one of utter horror.

Ahsoka cringed and held out her hand, "Senator—"

Rotsino looked away, "_No!_ Just…leave. I need to think."

Anakin and Ahsoka both stood up and respectfully bowed their heads before exiting Senator Rotsino's office.


	68. Chapter 68

**How do you pronounce Corellia?**

**I always read it as Core-EE-Lee-ya**

**But now I'm beginning to think it was meant to be Core-Elle-eeya**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT<strong>

Luke was suddenly awoken by the vibrations of his comlink. He cracked an eye open to look at his bedside chronometer. It was 0400 hours, too early for anyone to call.

Luke groaned as the comlink would not cease. He stretched his arm out and felt for it on his nightstand, as the only light in his room came from the cracks of his blinds, making it still too dark to see anything when Luke was as groggy as he was.

He activated his com and made sure his tone was as rude as whoever it was trying to call him at this hour, "_What?_"

"_Luke, is that you?_"

"Leia? What the kriff are you doing calling me in the middle of the night—"

Leia gasped, "_Oh I'm so sorry, Luke! I forgot about the time difference_."

"Sure, sure," Luke said as attempted to he rub the sleep out of his eyes, "What do you want?"

"_Can you look something up for me? I don't have HoloNet service out here_."

Luke sighed, "What's going on?"

"_Jerome and I kind of eavesdropped on a really sketchy conversation with members of the Abrion Major government and Corellian visitors."_

Luke frowned, "What kind of Corellians?"

Leia's voice seemed uncertain, "_They weren't wearing any Socialist insignias on their arms. Honestly, they looked like normal citizens."_

Luke's frown deepened. When Corellians made diplomatic missions, they would never forego their uniforms. "What was the conversation about?"

"_It seemed like the Corellians wanted to meet with the senator, but they weren't happy to hear that she was currently sitting with two Jedi."_

Luke raised an eyebrow, "That's not enough information for me to find out who they are."

"_One of the Corellians was addressed as Ms. Masdacus, and she spoke about making an alliance between the senator and her organization, the C.L.O."_

Luke shook his head, "Never heard of it or her."

"_She also mentioned someone else by the name of Madine. Mascadus made her sound like she doesn't like the Jedi too much_."

Luke sat up in his bed, thinking this through. Something about the name Madine rang a bell in Luke's mind, but he didn't want to give his sister any false hopes. "What makes you think this Madine character is a she?"

"_Jerome said he thought he heard of a woman named Madine before…"_

Luke frowned, silently disagreeing with Jerome. If he ever heard of a Madine before, it was definitely a man. "What are you doing right now? I might have to get back to you on this."

"_I'm waiting outside with Jerome; Dad and Master Tano are still inside. I don't think anyone knows that we overheard that conversation, but I'm not sure if I should tell Dad because I don't know how important this information could be_."

Luke shrugged, "Sounds important to _me_. I'll see what I can find out."

"_Tell him to ask Master Kenobi_," Luke heard Jerome's voice distantly.

"_Did you hear that, Luke?"_ Leia said, assuming that Luke heard Jerome, who was standing right next to her.

"Well if your dad still doesn't know, I don't know how telling Master Kenobi would help. Besides, I'm going to look it up _my_ way first."

"_Alright, Luke, thanks a lot_."

"Bye, Leia."

Luke ended the call and set his comlink back on the nightstand next to his bed. He sat for a moment, digesting everything he learned in the past five minutes. He looked back at the chronometer and sighed; there was no way he could go back to sleep now. He got out of bed and left his room, heading for his mother's office space across the hall. He would have easy access to the HoloNet from there.

* * *

><p>Anakin and Ahsoka stepped outside and noticed their younger companions. They walked over to where they were, sitting on benches in front of a small flower garden in the square.<p>

"How did it go?" Jerome asked the two Jedi.

Ahsoka shrugged, "She needs to think about it."

"But it seemed like she's only committed to the Socialists out of mutual disdain for the Republic, not common interests," Anakin said.

A few quiet moments passed by, punctuated only by the sound of distant animals and the soft howl of the wind, until Jerome spoke, "So what now?"

"You should probably go back to the ship," Anakin suggested, "I'll stay here and wait for any progress."

"I'll stay with you," Ahsoka immediately responded.

Leia and Jerome glanced at each other, both of them wondering if they should tell their respective guardians about the secret conversation they overheard earlier.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked, immediately sensing something amiss.

Leia bit her lip and looked away, "We're not sure, to be honest."

Anakin frowned, expecting a further explanation.

"You have to promise you won't get mad first," Leia said, using an old phrase she'd use as a child before she wanted to admit something to her parents.

Anakin raised his brows, "Leia, how many times have I told you I can't promise you that?"

"Well we didn't do it on purpose, it just kind of happened," Leia said, talking in more circles.

"Do _what_, Leia?"

"We overheard a conversation," Jerome said, not understanding why Leia was so hesitant to tell her father. He had no trouble telling the two Jedi Masters the story, "It was a meeting between Abrion officials and Corellian visitors."

Anakin and Ahsoka both looked intrigued, but Leia was distracted by her comlink ringing—a call that she had been waiting for over an hour now.

Leia stood up and tried to discreetly walk away with her comlink in hand.

"Leia, where are you going?"

Leia whipped around, "Just let Jerome tell the story, I need to talk to Luke."

Anakin frowned, "Do you know it's probably 0500 hours on Coruscant right now?"

"_He's_ calling _me_, Dad."

Anakin opened his mouth to say more, but Leia activated her comlink before her father could get another word out.

"Oh, hey Luke! Hold on, let me go somewhere more quiet."

Anakin, Ahsoka, and Jerome all frowned strangely at Leia as they watched her run over to sit on another bench in the garden square.

Anakin shook his head, returning his attention back to Jerome.

"Hopefully whatever it is that you're about to tell me is going to explain why Leia is acting so strange."

Jerome nodded, "She thinks the conversation we overheard was somewhat incriminating to Senator Rotsino…"

* * *

><p>"<em>Leia? What the heck was that about."<em>

Leia chuckled nervously. Her brother was referring to the overly-energetic greeting she gave him over the com.

"Sorry, Dad was sitting right next to me when you called. I wanted to get away so I could talk to you privately."

"_You do know he is still probably listening to your conversation,"_ Luke pointed out.

Leia shrugged, "Well he's too busy listening to Jerome's story to listen to _my_ conversation."

Luke sighed on the other side, "_Alright, well anyway, I spent a good hour searching all your requests."_

"Thank you so much, Luke! What did you find?" Leia asked excitedly.

"_Well the name Madine rang a bell, so I looked him up first. He was the representative of Tyrena in the Corellian Council_."

"Was?" Leia repeated.

"_He resigned halfway through Vader's first term,"_ Luke explained. "_But there's virtually no information on what he did after he left office."_

Leia frowned, "Jerome thought Madine was a girl."

"_Why?_"

Leia shrugged, "He said he remembered reading about a _woman_ named Madine."

Luke sounded uncertain, "_I didn't find anything about a woman, unless Jerome meant maybe his wife. Madine's wife was just as outspoken against socialism as he was."_

Leia nodded, "Maybe. What else?"

"_Nothing on a 'Ms. Masdacus', it's like she doesn't even exist. I searched everywhere."_

Leia frowned, "Really? Do you think that's her real name?"

Luke sounded uncertain_, "Maybe, maybe not. But I don't think that should be your first presumption."_

Leia frowned, but Luke continued, "_It's entirely possible that this 'C.L.O.' that she represents is a secret society._"

Leia moaned, "You didn't find anything on C.L.O. either?"

"_Well,_" Luke said hesitantly, "_I did, but not on the regular search engine. I had to look it up on the local Corellian net. It's a little more biased, but you can tell a lot about how 'bad' a certain organization is by how negatively the Socialist net describes them."_

Leia's eyebrows skyrocketed, "Wait, so the C.L.O. is… good?"

"_Not necessarily,"_ Luke said, "_I'm just saying that the Socialists don't like them. Just something to take into consideration_."

"Okay," Leia said slowly, "So what is the C.L.O.?"

"_It stands for the Corellian Liberation Organization. It's a capitalist group that wants to win back Corellia from the Socialist Party_."

Leia jumped up with excitement, "So they're actually good!"

"_Wait, Leia—"_

"I need to tell Dad!"

"_Leia, listen to me—"_

"Luke, thanks _so_ much for doing this for me!"

_"__Leia, I wasn't finished telling you—"_

"Hold on, Luke, I'm gonna call you back," Leia said as she watched Anakin, Jerome, and Ahsoka get up from their bench and walk over to where Leia was. She deactivated her comlink and put it away back into her jacket pocket.

Her father walked up to her and folded his arms across his chest, "Jerome told me what you both did."

Leia smiled, "See? It wasn't that bad."

Anakin was not amused. "What would have happened if someone saw you?"

Leia shrugged, "We would have crossed that bridge when we got to it. Honestly, it wasn't a big deal. And we learned a lot of information from it."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Really? You learned that the Abrion Major government is in cahoots with a Corellian anti-Jedi organization? Is that surprising news, seeing that Abrion Major is an official ally of the Socialist Party?"

Leia frowned slightly, "Well, no, this is different…"

"How so?"

Leia paused for a moment as she stared up at the three faces looking at her, waiting for an answer. To someone like Anakin and Ahsoka who did not hear the conversation first hand, they did not receive the full effect.

"They're in 'cahoots' with another organization, not just the Socialist Party. Maybe there's something greater going on here."

Jerome raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by greater? We've never heard of this C.L.O., and from what I've heard, they're a bunch of anti-Jedi maniacs."

Leia shook her head, smiling, "No, you see that's where you're wrong. C.L.O. may not be as bad as you think—"

"Leia," Anakin sighed.

"I'm serious!" Leia cried, "Just hear me out: the Socialists hate the C.L.O."

Anakin folded his arms across his chest, "So?"

Leia let out a frustrated sigh, "So, isn't that important to you?"

"Master, she may have a point," Ahsoka put in, "If we're here to negotiate with Senator Rotsino the same time that some other organization is, perhaps it _is_ important."

Anakin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Perhaps. But I just don't see what you plan to do with this information, Leia."

Leia sighed, but didn't answer. A couple of Abrion guards approached the four of them standing in the garden and told Anakin that the Senator requested to meet with him again.

After the guards left, Ahsoka voiced her concern, "She spoke with us only an hour ago. Do you really think she's had time to think about our proposal?"

Anakin shrugged and began walking towards the capitol building once again, with his former apprentice following close behind.

"Are we going with them this time?" Jerome asked Leia.

Leia shrugged, "You go, I promised my brother I'd call him back. I kind of hung up on him."

Jerome shrugged and began following after the two older Jedi. Leia sat back down on her bench and punched in Luke's frequency on her device.

"_How nice of you to call back,"_ Luke's tone was sarcastic.

"I'm so sorry, Luke," Leia said, sounding sincere, "Dad came and I panicked. I wanted to tell him all that I learned."

"_Well if you had waited for me to finish, maybe you wouldn't have been too excited."_

Leia frowned, "What were you going to say?"

"_Leia_," Luke sighed, _"__C.L.O. may have traces of anti-socialist policies that has warded off the Socialist Party from their liking, but you can't jump to the conclusion that they're good."_

Leia pursed her lips as she regarded her twin's words.

"_The fact that you heard them say they don't like the Jedi is a major red flag, one that you shouldn't ignore."_ Luke chuckled, _"__But then again, a lot of people hate the Jedi. So maybe it's not a big deal after all."_

Leia shook her head, "No, you're right. It _is_ a big deal. If there are anti-Jedi people here to talk to the senator the same time that Dad is here, that could be a problem."

_"__Hey, I don't know_," Luke conceded. "_I'm all the way here on good ole Coruscant_."

Leia frowned, "I didn't realize that you actually wanted to come."

_"__I didn't."_

"Then what are you—"

_"__Goodbye, Leia, I'm going back to bed. Don't comm me anymore_."

Luke ended the transmission and Leia sighed. She tucked her comlink away and walked back towards the capitol to find the rest of her companions.

* * *

><p>As Leia walked up the steps of the building, she accidently bumped into another woman.<p>

"Oh, I'm so sorry—"

She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw who it was—the human woman that Leia witnessed walk into that meeting chamber—the Corellian visitor known as Ms. Masdacus.

"Oh, no worries, my dear," Ms. Masdacus smiled. "What is a pretty little lady like you doing at the capitol?"

Leia bit her lip, wondering how much she could say without it technically be considered a lie. "My mother's the senator that represents my home planet."

Ms. Masdacus raised her brows, "I was just in with her; she never spoke to me about a daughter."

The woman regarded Leia for a moment before speaking again, "You must look after your father more."

Leia shrugged, "Eh."

Ms. Masdacus chuckled lightly, assuming that Leia must have heard that compliment a lot (when in fact it was the exact opposite of what Leia was used to hearing).

Leia took this time to study Ms. Masdacus herself. She seemed young—in her twenties perhaps. She had long, brunette hair. Corellian women were not known for having intricate hairstyles; in fact, Corellian women were known for hardly donning any hairstyles at all. They, like their male counterparts, left their hair down without a single pin in it. Leia herself, coming from a long line of Naboo women, did not care for this hairstyle.

Hopefully the hairstyle was the only difference that Leia would find between herself and this mysterious Ms. Masdacus.

* * *

><p>Anakin, Ahsoka, and this time Jerome were all ushered back in to Senator Rotsino's office, where they found her in her same chair behind her desk.<p>

"Made a decision so quickly?" Anakin asked as he sat back down in his seat across from the senator. Ahsoka, too, sat down while her apprentice stood near her.

The senator seemed hesitant as she clasped her hands together on top of her desk, "Well, it's been a decision I've been trying to make long before the Jedi reached out to us."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Since when?"

Rotsino sighed, "Since Matthias's disappearance. I feared that his entanglements with the Death Star may have had something to do with it. After that, I began thinking long and hard about the Socialists' weapon. I realized I didn't quite agree with the morality of it."

Anakin nodded, "Of course not. Anyone who values human life would not condone such a monstrous weapon. I commend you for your rationale."

The senator looked down at her hands and took a deep breath, "But… It is this weapon that has fueled my hesitation. I do not wish for Abrion Major to be the Death Star's next target."

Anakin sighed. All the pieces finally came together. He now understood.

He had always wondered what the draw was when all these systems joined the Socialist Party. Many of these systems did not even like socialism—nor did they ever incorporate it into their economies.

It wasn't loyalty and common ideals that held many of these systems in the Socialists' grasp.

It was _fear_.

"It's good to know that Darth Vader has successfully employed the Death Star to instigate fear into submission," Anakin muttered.

"You can see why it is hard for Abrion Major to join the Loyalist Party," Senator Rotsino said, "Vader would see through any lies we put up; he knows my stance on the Republic's inefficiency. He would see my switch as a defection…and betrayal."

Anakin leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees; his posture conveyed his frustration. "But we need more systems on our side—especially in the Senate. I have a bad feeling that the Socialists are going to begin an onslaught of tyrannical legislation. If the number of votes is in their favor, then the Sith have truly won."

"I can abstain from voting," the senator offered.

"I'm not sure if that would be enough," Ahsoka replied.

After a long moment of silence, Senator Rotsino spoke again, "I am skeptical that this is a battle the Jedi can win."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "Are you giving up on us already?"

Rotsino shrugged, "Not exactly. But for several years, the Socialists worked in secrecy. What the Jedi do is always out in the open. Perhaps you need a different tactic."

Anakin glanced at Ahsoka, remembering what Leia and Jerome told them about the secret organization known as C.L.O.

Anakin looked back at the senator, "You wouldn't happen to be allied with…a _different_ order, would you?"

Rotsino did not look at Anakin when she spoke, "At this point, choosing the Jedi over Vader is absolutely treasonous in his eyes. But if I were to join an organization with the same goals as you…"

Anakin nodded, "That's why a representative of the C.L.O. is here."

Rotsino's head snapped to look in the Jedi Master's direction, "How do you know about her?"

Anakin shrugged, "The Jedi have their ways, Senator. But let me just say this: if you don't think the Jedi can win this alone, then there is no chance that C.L.O. can win this either."

Rotsino frowned, regarding Anakin's words very seriously as he and his former apprentice Ahsoka Tano once again got up and left the office.

* * *

><p><strong>I just want to say THANK YOU again for all the readers who take the time to leave a review, but if you guys want to me to respond then I ask that you please make an account and sign in before you review. Sometimes I get a lot of really great reviews that I can't reply to because whoever left them were<strong>** not signed in. So thanks again!**


	69. Chapter 69

**CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE**

The Jedi returned to their ship and found Leia sitting in the passenger hold.

She looked up at her father, "How'd it go?"

"Well," Anakin sighed, "You were right. C.L.O. might not be too bad after all."

Leia bit her lip, thinking about the recent development in her ideas concerning the C.L.O., especially after she heard her brother's input. "I might not have been; they still hate the Jedi."

"That just might be their way of separating themselves from us," Ahsoka suggested, "by saying they dislike the Order."

Leia watched as Jerome sat down on one of the seats, looking unconvinced.

"What now?" Leia asked her father, "Are you gonna approach them?"

Anakin seemed to still be in the middle of thinking about it, but a ring of his comlink prevented him from answering his daughter.

He took out the device and answered it, revealing a miniature holographic image of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Yes, Master?"

"_Anakin, how were your talks?_" Obi-Wan asked, his tone indicating that there was something else more pressing that he needed to discuss with Anakin.

"I can go into full detail later," Anakin replied, "You seem to be calling me for a different reason."

Obi-Wan nodded, "_I'm not sure how coincidental this is, seeing that he chose to contact us once you were on the other side of the galaxy…"_

Anakin raised his eyebrows in alarm, immediately fearing the worst, "Vader?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, "_No, but it might as well be. It was the Chancellor."_

"What does he want?"

_"__He summoned the Council to a meeting at his office,"_ Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin shook his head, "And he waited until I was on the other side of the galaxy to do so."

"_It seems that way, yes,"_ Obi-Wan said warily, "_He didn't say what he wanted from us. But it can't come as a surprise. The High Council's official job is to be at the service of the Supreme Chancellor. Malindaar has almost reached two years in office and the only times he has ever reached out to us was when galactic issues arose unrelated to the Socialists…or the Sith."_

Anakin shook his head, "Do you think it's a trap? He knows that we know about him."

_"__Even if it is,"_ Obi-Wan said, "_there's nothing we can do. We can't arrest him, and we can't expose him in the Senate. He has too many supporters."_

Anakin sighed and sat down on one of the chairs in the hold. Ahsoka sat next to him to get a better view of Obi-Wan's projection, "It seems that Vader's had this all thought out. He has just enough of the majority in the Senate to vote down an impeachment. And he's persuaded enough people to dislike the Jedi that, if we even attempted to arrest the chancellor, we would be branded as a tyrannical order that stands in the way of democracy. Who knows, if we make any wrong move, Vader could convince someone in the Senate to make a motion to completely disband the Jedi Order."

Anakin raised his eyebrows at Ahsoka's theory and looked back at Obi-Wan, "Could they do that?"

Obi-Wan shrugged, "_Anything could be possible if Vader got enough seats in the Senate. Who knows, Malindaar may be calling us to his office in order to blackmail us. Maybe he knows that we need to do what he says, or else he'll have the power to get rid of us."_

Anakin's expression became one of disgust, "He would never be so bold."

_"__We don't know, Anakin,"_ Obi-Wan said, _"__Remember: Malindaar is just another one of Vader's pawns."_

Anakin sighed, "Well even if I left Abrion Major now, I would never make it back in time."

Obi-Wan nodded, "_I know. It's best for you to stay where you are. We don't know what Malindaar wants with the entire Council in his office."_

Anakin's eyes slowly widened. The entire Jedi High Council would be in the Supreme Chancellor's office…

Anakin was off world…

Ahsoka saw Anakin's look of deep contemplation. "Master, what is it?"

Anakin looked back at Obi-Wan for a second, "I'm going to have to talk to you later, Obi-Wan. Tell me what happens at that meeting."

Obi-Wan nodded_, "Sure thing, Anakin. May the Force be with you."_

Anakin deactivated the comlink and set it aside. He clasped his hands together and looked down. The realization of Vader's power finally took ahold of him for the second time in the past week.

"What is it?" Ahsoka asked for the second time.

Anakin looked at her warily, "The chancellor is gathering the most powerful Jedi in one room this evening. What if it's a diversion?"

Ahsoka frowned, "A diversion for what?"

Anakin shrugged, feeling uneasy as he thought about his wife and son all alone on Coruscant.

"Tell them to go to the Jedi Temple," Ahsoka suggested, sensing her former master's worry.

Anakin nodded, "Good idea."

"Maybe we shouldn't leave until the meeting is over," Ahsoka suggested again.

Anakin frowned, "I was thinking of leaving right away, on the contrary."

Ahsoka shook her head, "We should see what happens. There's nothing we can do until the threat passes over. I don't believe Chancellor Malindaar will be foolish enough to try anything."

"It's not _him_ I'm worried about," Anakin muttered, looking away.

* * *

><p>Back on Coruscant, Padmé got the call from Obi-Wan. He explained the entire situation to her; so when she got the call from her husband a few minutes later, she was not surprised that he would ask her to go stay at the Temple for extra security.<p>

"I don't understand how the Temple could possibly be safer than right here," Luke commented, standing in the doorway of Padmé's office as she collected her belongings into a small purse.

Padmé shrugged, "Your father is just being cautious. He thinks the Council's meeting is a trap, especially because he's not here to attend it."

Luke sighed, "Still—I don't see how much safer we could be at the Temple than at home. It's not like you don't have guards here."

Padmé smiled up at her son, silently agreeing with him. But nonetheless, she wasn't about to give her husband a heart attack by refusing his request.

She met her son at the doorway and they began walking down the steps to Padmé's terrace where a speeder was waiting for them.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Luke asked with sincere curiosity.

His mother gave him a pointed look, "Those are dangerous words to be spoken, young man."

Luke shrugged, and together he and his mother got into the speeder prepared by her trusted head of security, Captain Typho.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the temple, they were greeted by the oldest member of the Force Fourteen—Lola Mersu.<p>

The blue Twi'leki girl informed Senator Amidala that the Council members had already left to the Chancellor's office.

Padmé nodded, "Thank you, Lola. But I would like to speak with the keeper of the Archives. Is Jocasta Nu available?"

Lola nodded and pointed down the hall at the direction of the Jedi Archives, "She'll be down there."

Padmé smiled and looked back at her son, "I'll be back soon."

Luke watched as his mother walked away and then looked back at Lola, "What does she want from the Archives?"

Lola shrugged, "I was going to ask you the same question, you should know better than _me_. But it seems the Senator has frequented the library more times than you have this past week."

Luke rolled his eyes; he hadn't visited the Archives at _all_ this week.

"What exactly _have_ you been doing for the past couple of days?"

Luke smiled, "Just sitting at home, doing absolutely nothing, having the time of my life."

Lola chuckled, "A Jedi must not know couch-potatoness."

"Lola," Luke said seriously, "I find it hard to accept Jedi tips from someone who makes up her own words. Has your master taught you nothing?"

Lola chuckled even more, quite uncharacteristically of her. It made Luke a little concerned.

"Only someone like you would be worried when others are in too good of a mood," Lola observed, sensing Luke's emotions.

Luke raised an eyebrow, "You're just more giddy than usual. Is it because you're nervous about this meeting?"

Lola sighed, "Partly. It was quite unexpected. The Chancellor has been too passive when it comes to the Council—it's strange to see him mixing things up by inviting them over to his office."

"It was an invitation?"

Lola shrugged, "That's just the nice way of putting it."

Luke pursed his lips, thinking about what could have worried Anakin so much that he would request Padmé and Luke to go to the Jedi Temple for protection.

"Do _you_ believe there's something else going on?" Luke asked Lola.

Lola only shrugged, "Personally, I don't understand what could happen that wouldn't lead us to an outright war. I don't think the Chancellor is capable."

"I wasn't talking about the chancellor," Luke replied.

"In that case," Lola said grimly, "You never know."

* * *

><p>It was now well past bedtime on Abrion Major, but Anakin was far from sleep. He remained in the cockpit of his ship, constantly watching his comlink for any new developments about the situation on Coruscant.<p>

He heard the cockpit door slide open as his former Padawan entered and took a seat in the co-pilot's chair.

"No good ever comes from worrying, Master," Ahsoka said, attempting to lift Anakin's mood.

Anakin put a hand up to his forehead, "I just don't know what Vader's ulterior motive is here."

"Why must there always be an ulterior motive?" Ahsoka asked, "And who says Vader has anything to do with it? Albrecht Malindaar is still the Supreme Chancellor."

Anakin shook his head, "No, no, Vader is always behind everything. I know this now—I learned this the hard way. And he _always_ has an ulterior motive."

Ahsoka sighed, not wishing to argue with her master's paranoia.

"Don't you think it's time for an alliance?" Ahsoka said after a moment, changing the subject slightly.

Anakin raised an eyebrow, "With the _chancellor?_"

Ahsoka shook her head, "No, no… With the C.L.O."

Anakin sighed, "Ahsoka, we've never even heard of them until yesterday. They're probably just another small group that hates Vader but can't do anything about it."

"But then why would they come see Senator Rotsino so soon after her friend Bassa's death? The C.L.O. must have been thinking the same thing that _we_ were."

Anakin shrugged, unconvinced.

"Think about it," Ahsoka continued, "the C.L.O. has been around ever since Vader became the president of Corellia. They've probably been watching him forever. They know what he's capable of."

Anakin scowled, "_I _know what he's capable of."

Ahsoka nodded, "I know that, but they could really help us. They could be our eyes and ears while we try to figure it all out."

"What makes you think they want anything to do with us? For all we know, they could hate the Jedi as much as Vader does."

"But they also hate Vader as much as we do," Ahsoka retorted.

Anakin looked up at Ahsoka with a thoughtful look, finally accepting to take her idea into consideration.

* * *

><p>Lola got a buzz from her comlink. She looked down to find a message from her master.<p>

"Did they enter the Chancellor's office?" Luke asked, who was right next to Lola.

Lola nodded, "They're about to go in. Only eight masters that were present on Coruscant—my master and Masters Yoda, Windu, Kenobi, Secura, Koon, Allie, and Offee."

Luke nodded and the two resumed their walk around the Temple.

"You seem close with your master," Luke remarked.

Lola nodded, "Master Mundi is incredibly intelligent. He's been such a valuable guide for me in my training."

Luke smiled softly, "That's good. I wonder what it would be like to have a teacher that wasn't also your father."

Lola chuckled, "Yes, I guess you're a special circumstance. But at one point, my master was a special circumstance as well."

Luke's eyebrows shot up, "Master Mundi…had kids?"

Lola nodded, "Of course, they're dead now. His whole family is. It's quite a shame; his species was slightly on the rare side."

Luke shook his head in disbelief, "His whole family died…and he's still a Jedi?"

Lola nodded proudly, "It's an important tenant of the Jedi Code not to form attachments. Master Mundi's family perished in a battle on their home world of Cerea during the Clone Wars. Thankfully, the grief did not drive my master into Darkness."

Luke nodded, "It boggles my mind that another Jedi had a family. I thought it was just An—my father."

"The Council grants a few exceptions every now and then. Like I said, Master Mundi is of a rare species. They thought he could help repopulation efforts."

Luke nodded slowly, "Is he the only one?"

Lola shook her head, smiling, "We all have families, Luke. Of course, most of the Jedi do not know much about them. But some of us do."

"Us?" Luke repeated.

Lola nodded, "I've never met my actual father, but I've visited his clan on Ryloth. Master Secura was generous enough to let me go with her on a visit to our mutual home planet on a diplomatic visit last year."

Luke was surprised at hearing this, but interested nonetheless.

"It's important to connect to your roots, Luke," Lola continued, "My visit to Ryloth gave me a greater insight on how the planet works, and how the Twi'leks live. It has even encouraged me to continue studying their language."

As they continued walking down the vast corridors of the Jedi Temple, they heard voices on the other side of a nearby door. Then they heard a boy's laugh that was unmistaken to either Luke or Lola.

Luke smiled, shaking his head, "That's Corran, alright. I wonder what's so funny in there."

Lola smiled too as they kept walking, "You know, Corran has a family too."

Luke raised his eyebrows, "Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. He _is_ Corellian."

Lola nodded, "His grandfather was a Jedi Master, too. Nejaa Halcyon."

Luke stopped dead in his tracks. There was no way it was a coincidence that he was hearing the same Jedi Master's name twice in less than a week.

"Is everything alright?" Lola asked Luke, who had stopped.

Luke looked up and nodded, continuing to walk again, reminding himself to look more into Corran's lineage in the future.

* * *

><p>The eight High Council members that were present on Coruscant when their Supreme Chancellor called had entered his office at last.<p>

Chancellor Malindaar was young for a Supreme Chancellor. He hardly had a speck of gray in his dark, short and curly hair that was always slicked back with gel. His appearance was always crisp, but a gleam of apprehension (and fear?) constantly roamed in his eyes. He was seated in his chair behind the grand desk in the chamber with his hands neatly folded on top while guards stood next to him and the spectacular view of the Senate District lied behind him.

The Chancellor stood up when the Jedi entered his office. He plastered on a fake smile as they respectfully bowed to him, "Thank you for coming on such short of a notice, Masters."

"We are always at your service, Chancellor," Master Windu replied humbly.

Malindaar nodded, "Yes, yes…"

He walked over to the front of his desk as he observed the rest of the Jedi. His relationship with the Council was like nothing that any other chancellor has ever had. The Jedi have always been an important part of a chancellor's protection and counsel, but Chancellor Malindaar made it clear early on that he did not need the Jedi for anything.

"We're happy you decided to reach out to us," Master Mundi said to break up the silence, "It's been a few months since you've asked our assistance in anything. We would like to be helpful in any way we can."

"Helpful," Malindaar repeated, nodding his head. "Yes, the Jedi have been nothing but helpful these past several years. Especially helpful during the Clone Wars, but _remarkably_ helpful afterwards when reuniting this fragmented galaxy."

Obi-Wan and Mace Windu exchanged a glance, both remarking how strangely the chancellor was speaking to them, and then returned their attention back to him.

"I am hoping that it will always be this way," Malindaar said distantly, "That the Jedi will always be helpful in keeping the galaxy…_together_."

"Is there something on your mind, Chancellor?" Obi-Wan asked, attempting to halt the circles that their superior was speaking in.

Malindaar expelled a deep sigh, "I'm just worried about the unity of the Republic, my friends. I fear that this division in the Senate—the division between Loyalists and Socialists—will spark…a fire."

"Happy, we are not," Yoda said, speaking for the first time in his calm Jedi Master voice, "About this division in the Senate."

Master Windu nodded, "We can only hope that this division does not pose a threat on our democracy."

Malindaar nodded slowly, "If this division in the Senate does spark a fire, our democracy will go up in flames."

The Jedi all realized that their chancellor was now speaking metaphorically.

"And we all know how unstable fire can be," Malindaar said, his eyes looking beyond the Jedi in front of him. "It is in everyone's best interest for the Jedi _not_ to play with fire."


	70. Chapter 70

**If there is ONE day that you can count on me to upload a new chapter, it's June 29th. Because three years ago today I posted the first chapter and I like being sentimental sometimes.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVENTY<strong>

The Council members, Padmé, Luke, and Lola stood around a large holo projector in one of the communication rooms at the Jedi Temple as soon as the Jedi returned from the Chancellor's office that evening.

"I'm going to connect to Anakin's comlink so that I don't have to repeat this twice," Obi-Wan said to Padmé, who was desperate to know what had just transpired with the chancellor.

Anakin answered his comlink right away, and a blue holographic image of he and Ahsoka Tano appeared on the holo projection table in the middle of the circle of Jedi.

"_I'm assuming your meeting just finished?_" Anakin said once he answered the call.

Obi-Wan nodded, "It wasn't long."

"What happened, Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked with her eyebrows crumpled in worry.

"Well, the Chancellor all but threatened us," Obi-Wan said, his tone sounding too sarcastic for a Jedi Master.

Padmé raised her eyebrows in shock and Anakin shook his head in disbelief, "_What were his exact words?"_

"He told us, and I quote, it is in everyone's best interest for the Jedi _not to play with fire_."

Padmé covered her mouth with her hand. Anakin chuckled at the sheer absurdity of the situation, "_Well we must be doing something right if he thinks we're playing with fire._"

"_Was he vehement about it?"_ Ahsoka asked, believing that a lot could be determined by _how_ a person said something in addition to what he actually said.

"His demeanor was calm and collected," Master Windu answered, "And afterwards he put on a smile for us and began talking about the importance of open dialogue in a democracy."

Padmé frowned, "Why would he say that?"

"Perhaps that is his way of telling us he wants the Council to begin reporting to him more often from now on," Master Mundi suggested.

"It seemed that way," Master Windu agreed.

"When are you coming back, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, returning his attention to the blue hologram in the middle of the circle.

Anakin glanced at Ahsoka for a moment and then looked back at his old master, _"__We have one more thing to do out here._"

Obi-Wan nodded, "Then may the Force be with you."

* * *

><p>Night had long fallen by the time Padmé and Luke arrived back to their home.<p>

"What a day," Padmé remarked tiredly as the two walked up the steps to their respective bedrooms.

Luke opened his mouth, about to ask his mother about her trip to the Jedi Archives, before she turned around and faced him.

"Now, Luke, I'm going to bed, alright?"

Luke nodded, not understanding why she was looking at him so seriously.

"Your father tells me that you have an apt for sneaking out once everyone's asleep."

Luke frowned, making it look like he would never do such a thing, but in truth was just slightly offended that Anakin told Padmé that.

Padmé smiled at Luke, "Don't make me worry about you. If you want to hang out with your friends, just invite them over. You don't need to sneak out in the middle of the night."

Luke shrugged as he stood outside the door to his room, "Whatever, goodnight."

Padmé smiled, "Goodnight, Luke."

* * *

><p>Jerome would never admit that he and the devil child Luke Skywalker shared any similarities whatsoever.<p>

But sometimes it was true.

Just as Luke had an apt for sneaking out and around, Jerome found it necessary to do so too.

It was past dawn on Abrion Major. Jerome woke up around the same time that he had witnessed Master Skywalker and Master Tano turn in for a couple hours of sleep in the early morning. Jerome slipped out of the Jedi's ship to make a discreet comm call when no one was around.

He made it look like he was on an early morning leisure walk as he scouted for a safe space to make his mysterious call. Once he found a secluded bench behind a large tree, he entered his friend's comlink frequency.

"_Hi, Jerome_," came the voice of Jerome's most trusted sixteen year-old Jedi colleague, "_How's the mission?_"

Jerome shrugged, "Hey Kassi, not too bad. I think Master Skywalker has just extended our stay, but I don't know why."

"_I've been doing what you asked me to do_," Kassi said, jumping right to it. She knew that Jerome only called her for a progress report on the informal 'mission' he had given her before he left for Abrion Major.

"And?"

"_Nothing,_" Kassi said dejectedly, "_I found nothing_."

Jerome slammed his fist on his knee, "Unbelievable!"

"_Nothing, Jerome. I almost feel like he's on to me because I've seen him do_ nothing _all week_. _He's stayed at home and watched holo sports channels every day. The first time he even came to the Temple was today, and he just spoke to Lola all evening. He hasn't spoken to anyone on the comm except for Leia and his Corellian friend Han Solo._"

Jerome nodded slowly, "And what did you find on Solo?"

"_He's as clean as a bar of soap. I had someone within the Coruscant Naval Academy watching him too. The only things he talked about with Luke over the comm were sports and Solo's friends at the Academy_."

Jerome groaned, wishing that his friend had some more juicy details to tell him. "Do you think Skywalker will sneak out tonight? What time is it on Coruscant?"

"_The sun only just set, so I doubt it_," Kassie replied. "_He's still with his mother, so unless she went to bed straight away, he probably won't leave his house tonight_."

Jerome nodded, "Alright, keep me updated on what you find out. Keep watching him. I'm certain that he's remained in contact with some old friends from the Empire."

"_You can count on me. See you soon, Jerome_."

With her final farewell, Kassi terminated the comm call and left Jerome alone with his thoughts.

Jerome _knew_ that Luke Skywalker was hiding something, but apparently he would need to do more than just have someone follow him around to find out.

* * *

><p>Anakin and Ahsoka both woke up with the realization that they wouldn't reach any peaceful sleep until they finished what their mission brought them to this planet to do.<p>

They met up in the cockpit of the ship, where Leia was waiting patiently all alone.

"Where's Jerome?" Ahsoka asked with a frown.

Leia shrugged, "Just as I was waking up, I saw him exit the ship. I think he went to take a walk."

Ahsoka and Anakin both frowned in unison and then sat down in their chairs.

"What's the news, Master?" Ahsoka asked, wondering if Anakin's early awakening had anything to do with a new development to their mission.

"The senator is wary of the Jedi. I fear that too many Socialist senators have lost trust in us," Anakin thought aloud.

Ahsoka nodded, "We need to make it clear that we are a non-partisan, peace-keeping Order."

"Yes," Anakin nodded, "That's why I think you and your apprentice need to stay here on Abrion Major to make Rotsino feel safe, in case Vader ever comes around sensing that she has betrayed him like Senator Bassa did."

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows, not anticipating this plan to come from her master. "What will you do?"

"I'll go back to Coruscant, convene with the Council, and try to keep our plan moving. We need to get more Socialists on our side."

Ahsoka sighed, "But you heard them last night, the Chancellor pretty much threatened us not to play with politics."

"How would we be playing with politics if we simply sent a few Jedi ambassadors around the galaxy?" Anakin asked, smiling.

Ahsoka thought about it some more, "Won't that be spreading the Jedi too thin?"

"Better than keeping all our eggs in one basket," Anakin retorted, "It's one thing to spread the Republic's _army_ too thin—which the Socialists have been advocating in the Senate for years now—but it's completely different if we have our _Jedi_ spread out keep an eye on things."

Ahsoka nodded slowly, "But one more thing… What if something happens and the Jedi have to get involved? It could make Malindaar think we called his bluff. He could actually do something—"

"Ahsoka," Anakin interrupted, "Malindaar only threatened the Jedi—the Jedi Knights. He has no jurisdiction over our _Padawans _and what_they _do."

Ahsoka's smile broadened, finally understanding Anakin's master plan. She finally understood why he put together such a strange team of Jedi Masters and their Padawans and called them the 'Force Fourteen'. It wasn't about teaching the apprentices anything… It was about uniting them to take over the roles of their Jedi Masters.

* * *

><p>Luke waited a long time until he was <em>sure<em> that his mother had fallen asleep.

He opened his bedroom door and peered outside, looking for any sign of that annoying droid Threepio that would blow his cover. He stepped out into the hallway and took one last glance at his parents' bedroom. With a smile, he went downstairs.

Luke's paranoia kept him from leaving his home via his landing platform, which could be watched by security and/or spies at any times. He took a turbolift down to the main lobby of the apartment complex and lifted the hood of his black jacket to conceal the back of his head as he strolled out of the revolving glass doors and stepped outside.

Luke had learned his lesson about going to really shady places in the middle of the night on Coruscant. When he told Mara that he needed to talk to her, he suggested a normal restaurant that would be open late at night, but would not accommodate any of the low lives that frequented _other_ kinds of places—lower Coruscant kinds of places.

Luke made it to CoCo Town, the bustling commercial district of the semi-wealthy here on Coruscant. Here, Luke could blend in without completely looking out-of-place. He knew that if he ventured off to some suspicious location and a Jedi happened to find him there, he would be in deep poodoo.

He walked into late-night Corellian restaurant and found his friend sitting in the back in one of the booths, reading the menu. He slid in across from her and picked up a menu to read as well.

Mara smiled as she kept her eyes on the menu, "I like how this whole secrecy objective has forced us to forego comm calls; I feel like I've seen you more in the past month than I have all of last year."

Luke chuckled, his eyes skimming over the menu, "I'm starving."

Mara raised her eyebrows, "That's new."

Luke shrugged, putting the florescent sheet of glass that acted as the menu back down on the table. "I'm hoping it's all a part of my growth spurt."

Mara chuckled and set her own menu down too as a server droid approached their table and took their orders.

"So what's new?" Mara asked as she sipped from the straw of her jawa juice.

Luke shrugged and leaned back into the cushion of the booth he was sitting at. "These are comfortable seats."

Mara raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "Did you ask to meet me here to test out the seats?"

Luke sighed, "No, I was just bored."

Mara smiled and rested her chin in her hand, "Come on, the life of a Jedi can't be _that_ boring."

"Honestly, I don't think I really _am_ a Jedi."

Mara raised her eyebrows, surprised, but remained quiet.

"I mean, besides the fact that most Jedi don't consider apprentices to be real Jedi anyway, I just don't feel like I belong."

Mara tilted her head, "Is that something that someone _else_ has been trying to tell you? Or…"

Luke shrugged, "Well, I mean Landski tells me I'm a disgrace to the Jedi every day and never lets me forget it. But… I think it's something I've sort of realized on my own."

Mara couldn't hide her smile, "Then what are you _doing_ here, Luke?"

Luke eyed the server droid as it came back with two plates of food and set them across from Luke and Mara. Luke smiled, "I came here for the smoked nerf."

Mara laughed, noticing how her friend dodged her question, "You _are_ a nerf."

Luke shrugged, not necessarily disagreeing with her, as he shoveled mouthfuls into his mouth. Mara stared at him with awe as he finished half his plate.

"Is your mother starving you or something?"

Luke shook his head, "No, I'm just hungry _all_ the _time_."

Mara rolled her eyes and reached for her own utensils so she could start eating her own food.

"So if you're not a Jedi," Mara said, trying to get back to the previous topic of conversation, "what are you?"

Luke shrugged, not really interested in divulging more on an idea that he hardly thought about any further, "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

Mara shrugged and played with her food, "Maybe Vader can help."

Luke dropped his fork and slowly looked up at Mara, who was avoiding his gaze.

"Why would you say that?"

Mara got defensive, "You're the one who said you don't feel like a Jedi anymore!"

Luke shook his head, "Yeah, but I didn't mean that I wanted to go back to the _Empire_."

Mara sighed, "Honestly, the Republic _is_ the Empire. I don't know why we're fooling ourselves."

"Mara, I don't wanna talk about this. I can't see myself leaving Anakin and Padmé—my _real_ parents—after everything that's happened. Even if…"

Mara stared at Luke for a long moment after he paused, "Even if what?"

Luke shrugged, "Even if I thought the Empire would truly bring peace to the galaxy."


	71. Chapter 71

**Before you all point your lightsabers at me, hear me out.**

**The past several months were the busiest I have ever experienced in my life and I simply had NO free time.**

**I will try to post more frequently, but never doubt that I WILL NOT LEAVE THIS STORY HANGING.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE<strong>

The father and daughter duo bade their final farewell to Ahsoka and her apprentice, who would stay behind for a few more days until more adequate Jedi protectors could come to take their place. Anakin figured that he wanted Ahsoka and Jerome back on Coruscant to continue with their long-term mission of bringing the Empire down—any other Jedi could come back to this Socialist system to ensure Senator Rotsino's safety as she slowly shifts her loyalties back to the Galactic _Republic_.

Anakin and Leia's flight back to Coruscant was long and uneventful. When they arrived, it was the early morning on the city-planet—meaning an early riser was waiting for them at the kitchen table when the two entered their home.

Padmé watched from her seat as her husband and daughter climbed out of the starship on the landing platform outside the window. She smiled in anticipation as they walked towards the door.

Padmé got up and opened her arms, "Come, give your mother a hug."

Leia, who was used to not seeing her father for prolonged periods of time, was certainly not used to not seeing her mother for this long and ran into her mother's embrace with enthusiasm.

"How was your trip?" Padmé asked as she squished Leia.

"Interesting."

Padmé raised an eyebrow and released Leia to look at her more directly, "Interesting how?"

Leia shrugged, "Where's Luke?"

Padmé ignored Leia's question as her husband strode in, wrapped his arms around his wife, and kissed her on the cheek.

Leia gave them a dirty look, "_Mom_, is he still in bed?"

Padmé scoffed, still not looking at Leia, "He didn't even go to bed yet."

Leia frowned and walked around to the living room where she found two bleary teenage eyes glued to a hologame.

"Luke…Han?"

The look on the two boys' focused faces assured Leia that her twin and his friend had stayed up _all night_ playing this game.

Leia sat on the couch behind Luke, who was sitting on the floor with Han, too entranced by the game to say hello to his sister.

Leia tilted her head, "What's the purpose of the game here?"

"Luke's tribe stole my tribe's most valuable artifact and now we have to kill him," Han said, not taking his eyes off the game as his thumbs furiously pushed away at the buttons on his game controller.

Leia gave Luke an amused smile, "So you're the bad guy?"

Luke scoffed, still not taking his eyes off the game as his avatar in the game fought off several of Han's warriors. "Hardly the bad guy—Han's tribe stole our land and all of its ancient treasures along with it—I'm simply taking back what's rightfully mine."

Leia shrugged and slumped back into her seat. Luke fought off one last enemy warrior before he paused the game and got up.

"Did you just get here?"

Leia shrugged, "Thanks for finally noticing me."

Luke rolled his eyes but Han went over to Leia and offered her a handshake, "How was the other side of the galaxy?"

Leia smiled, happy that Han had more manners than her brother, "Pretty nice, how was Coruscant?"

Han grinned, "I wouldn't know, I haven't seen much of it since this game came out."

Both Luke and Leia laughed at this as Anakin and Padmé walked into the living room.

Anakin raised his brows at the two boys, "Who stays up until 0700 hours to play video games?"

Luke and Han glanced at each other, neither one of them ever having been scolded for how late they stayed up doing _anything_.

Anakin looked at his son, "Do I get a hug or a handshake or a hello?"

Luke folded his arms stubbornly, a part of him still bitter that his father chose _Leia_ over him for a Jedi mission, "Hello."

Anakin smiled and shook his head, "Someday." He looked over at Han next, "What about you, Solo, you don't have school?"

Han grinned, "Spring break, man."

Anakin rolled his eyes, suddenly remembering why he didn't like Han Solo.

Padmé clapped her hands together, "Breakfast anyone?"

Leia gave her mother a serious look, "Mom you are like the only one here who is not sleep deprived."

Han shot Leia a look, "We're not sleep-deprived, we're sleep-_denied_."

Luke nodded, "The game held our souls captive."

Leia frowned, "What?"

Han smiled and threw an arm around Leia, "We have to thank you. If it wasn't for you, we would have been trapped in that game forever."

Leia's eyes widened with incredulity, "Why, your welcome."

Padmé and everyone else laughed, "They're just messing with you, Leia."

Leia in turn shot Han a dirty look and punched her brother in the shoulder.

Luke frowned and rubbed his shoulder, surprised that his sister could deliver such a mean punch. Anakin folded his arms and smiled with mock approval at Luke, "Well I'm glad you weren't actually deprived of sleep, and I'm _delighted_ that you won't object to accompanying me to the Jedi Temple."

Luke's jaw dropped, "Oh yes I would—"

"Since, you know," Anakin reasoned, "No one here is actually sleep-_deprived_."

Luke shook his head, "No,_ I _didn't say—"

"Excellent, go get in the speeder then, we have a lot of work to do."

Luke stared at his father with his mouth hanging open, wondering why he was so casually and happily punishing him by making him go back to the Temple.

Han gave Luke a nice, wide grin as he plopped back down on the couch next to Leia, "See you later, Lu-Lu."

Luke eyes Han murderously as he followed his father back out to the landing pad.

* * *

><p>Luke's arms were folded across his chest for the entire ride from 500 Republica to the Jedi Temple.<p>

Anakin glanced at him from the corner of his eye as he flew through Coruscant traffic, "Oh come on, it's not like you were going to go to sleep had you stayed home."

Luke shrugged, "It's not like I was going to go to the Temple had _you_ stayed in Abrion Major."

Anakin raised his eyebrows in amusement, "Are you telling me you didn't miss me at all?"

Luke gave his father an incredulous look and Anakin shook his head, "Someday you're going to have to swallow your pride and admit how you really feel."

"Or what?" Luke asked as Anakin pulled his speeder into the parking lot.

Anakin shrugged as he got out of the vehicle, "Or people will start to doubt your allegiance to the Jedi."

Luke narrowed his eyes at his father, annoyed, as he climbed out of the speeder and followed Anakin inside.

* * *

><p>"Ah, hello Anakin," Obi-Wan greeted his old friend once they met in the grand hall. He looked down at Luke, "Well, look who we have here!"<p>

Luke glared up at Obi-Wan, prompting Anakin to explain to his friend Luke's foul mood, "He stayed up all night playing Galaxy Wars with his friend and now he's mad that I dragged him here."

"Well if you didn't drag him here he would have never come on his own accord. I almost feared that while you were gone, young Luke was trying to avoid the Temple as if it was the plague."

"Yeah, something like that," Luke muttered.

"Come," Obi-Wan gestured to Anakin, "The Council wants to hear about your trip… And we want to discuss the Chancellor."

Anakin nodded, "Have you sent for Ahsoka's replacement on Abrion Major, first?"

"Yes, Master Kiko and his apprentice left yesterday."

Anakin nodded once again and turned to look at his son, "Go find the other Padawans and let me know who you think should accompany us on our next mission."

Luke's face brightened, "What?"

Anakin chuckled, "After Abrion Major, I now know what I need to do. Let me know who you think would be an asset."

Luke couldn't keep himself from grinning after this turn of events; his father was finally going to take him on a mission.

* * *

><p>The next day at dinner with the Skywalkers (and Han Solo), Anakin finally revealed to Luke the details of their next mission.<p>

"Think of it as a tour of the Outer Rim."

Padmé frowned, "That sounds dangerous."

Anakin rolled his eyes, "Not when there's three Jedi around."

Padmé shrugged and looked at her daughter, "So does that mean only Leia is coming with me to Naboo?"

Leia frowned, "What's wrong with just me?"

Padmé chuckled, "Nothing, nothing."

Leia's eyes lit up with a new idea, "Why don't we take Han!"

Han, who was minding his own business and drinking out of a tall glass of water, choked midway and looked at Leia with startled eyes.

"No thanks, no mission for me."

Leia rolled her eyes, "To Naboo, idiot."

Padmé, who was perhaps the one Skywalker that liked Han Solo more than Luke and Leia combined, bubbled with joy over the idea.

"Perfect! Han can come with us to Naboo."

Luke raised an eyebrow and looked at Han interestingly, who was still contemplating the idea.

"What would I do on Naboo?"

"You'd meet my cousins and we can go swimming in the lake and we can play beach volleyball and all kinds of stuff," Leia said as if it was so obvious.

"She always has a grand list of stuff to do on Naboo, honestly it's never boring," Luke added.

"And Anakin and Luke can join us as soon as they come back from the Outer Rim," Padmé said, as the plan finally made sense altogether, "It's the perfect idea."

"So Han will replace Luke, perfect," Leia added, with a smile on her face.

"Oh hi there," Han said in a low voice, "I'm Luke Skywalker for the weekend."

Everyone at the table laughed except for Luke, "I don't sound like that."

Han continued on with the voice, "Yeah you do."

Annoyed, Luke looked around the dining room for a moment and then back at Han, "Honestly, why are you always here?"

Han and Leia both laughed and everyone went back to eating.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Luke and Anakin were getting the ship ready at the landing docks of the Jedi Temple.<p>

"Good idea at picking Lola Mersu to accompany us on our mission," Anakin said to Luke.

"I just figured she was one of the more reasonable Padawans in the group."

"She's also a Twi'lek, and Ryloth is first on our list of systems to visit."

Luke nodded, "Does that mean you invited Master Secura to come, too?"

"That's exactly what it means," Anakin replied.

Luke smiled at the thought that his friend Corran Horn would also be accompanying them on their trip to outer space.

"Except her apprentice is sick," Anakin continued.

Luke sighed as he lamented on his horrible luck when it came to hoping for things.

"So instead, Master Secura is swapping Padawans with Master Tano."

Luke dropped what he was doing and turned to face his father, "WHAT?"

"Now, Luke," Anakin said, his voice low and reproving, "There is a lot to be said about a Jedi who cannot get along with his teammates."

Luke's voice also became low, except it was filled with much more anger, "Don't make it sound like you've got along with every Jedi you've ever met. Jerome is different—he's vile and stupid and mean—"

"If you can learn to respect each other, you will get along much better, believe me. You and Jerome are not much different when you really put it in perspective."

Luke huffed and folded his arms across his chest, "We _are_ different."

Anakin rolled his eyes and climbed back aboard the ship, closely followed by Luke who didn't want to be around to meet and greet his least favorite Jedi Padawan.

* * *

><p>Most of the hyperspace travel across the galaxy was spent with Luke and Jerome glowering at each other from a distance at whatever chance they got, the rest of the time they avoided each other.<p>

Lola unknowingly saw herself allotting certain amounts of time to spend with both Luke and Jerome, separately.

"Honestly, Jerome," Lola said after ten hours of flight and tension, "You're three years older than him. Be the bigger man and the better Jedi."

The two of them were sitting at a booth in the main hold of the starship while everyone else was in the cockpit.

"Age difference means nothing when you apply it to someone influenced by the _Dark_ Side of the Force, Lola."

Jerome's tone was hard, just like his stubborn opinion on Luke Skywalker.

Lola shook her head, "You're not giving him a chance to improve."

"He's a lost cause."

"You're treating him as if you yourself are a Sith Lord."

Jerome's jaw dropped, "How could you say that to me?"

Lola shrugged, "What are the ideals of a Sith, Jerome? Anger and Hatred fuel the passion needed to use the Force."

Jerome nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he anticipated where Lola was going with this.

"Your anger towards Luke and your hatred for him makes your argument against him hypocritical. You hate him for his Dark Side upbringing, but hate is _of_ the Dark Side."

Jerome stared at Lola for a long time, not able to argue her rational points but still not willing to admit that she was right. He concluded to himself that she simply did not understand and left it at that.

"You think I don't understand," Lola stated.

Jerome's face twisted in confusion, "I thought you couldn't read minds?"

Lola scoffed, "I don't need to. You're an open book."

Jerome rolled his eyes.

"Next time you see Corran Horn," Lola began again, as she got up from her seat at the booth, "Ask him about his grandfather, and then ask him if he harbors the same sort of ill-will towards Skywalker that you hold."

Jerome watched in more confusion as his older teammate walked away and exited the hold.

* * *

><p>"How many more hours until Ryloth?" Master Secura asked as she got up from her seat in the cockpit.<p>

Anakin glanced at the computer, "More than enough for you to go get some rest, wake up, and still see yourself counting the hours away."

Aayla smiled and left the cockpit, leaving Anakin alone with his son.

Luke was looking at their route on the computer and noticed Ryloth's location in the Outer Rim as a thought occurred to him.

"Why don't you ever go back to your home planet?"

The question struck Anakin out of nowhere. He sat looking at Luke for a long moment before he could think of anything to say.

"There's no one left for me there."

Luke shrugged, "So? It's still your home planet. Don't you miss it?"

"No."

Luke realized that he must have approached a touchy subject and decided not to pursue the conversation any further. He turned his chair back to the direction of the computer and went back to surveying the map.

"People around the galaxy," Anakin said, staring off at the window, into the vastness of space, "regard me as 'The Hero With No Fear,' yet I'm still afraid to go back and face my people."

Luke turned back around, "I bet that isn't true. They must be proud."

Anakin chuckled bitterly to himself as he shook his head, "The only reason I ever had any interest in the Jedi that came to rescue me in the first place was because I thought he was going to free the slaves. And then afterwards I thought _I_ was going to free the slaves…"

His words left him a bitter taste in his mouth. Anakin's lips curled into a bitter scowl, "They still wonder how I could leave them all behind."

Luke once again turned his back to Anakin and took a long look at the computers in front of him as a faint smile slowly crossed his lips.

Perhaps it was the fact that his father was so deeply opening up to him, or perhaps it was the pain and deep-seated anger in Anakin's words that excited Luke so much.


	72. Chapter 72

**Thank you for 700 reviews-wow! **

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><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO<strong>

Ryloth was crude and rocky and a clear indication that no advanced form of civilization could ever evolve from this planet… Or at least, that's what Luke had been taught by his racist old Sith master.

_"__There's a reason humans are more intelligent, more civilized, and generally more anatomically efficient," _Vader would say.

_"__Our home worlds are lush planets, sustainable for life, plentiful with water and fruitful plains. The human species did not need to evolve into crude beings to survive crude environments such as aliens like the Twi'leks. Their species belongs in the wilderness of the Outer Rim. Their whole civilization is backwards and animalistic."_

_"__Because they practice slavery, right?" Luke asked._

_Vader shook his head, "That's not the problem, that's just a result of their problems. They practice slavery because they have no respect for their own people, which stems from their core primitive values."_

_Luke frowned after thinking for a moment, "But I heard that Twi'leks were the most accepted alien species by the early humans due to their human-like features."_

_Vader adorned an acidic smile, "That further goes to prove how much _more_ barbaric all the _other_ alien species are."_

As Luke reflected on the only piece of information he knew about the Twi'leks, given to him by the openly racist Darth Vader, he decided that any more knowledge he had about alien races should be carried with a grain of salt. From the very beginning of his training as a Jedi, Luke learned that some Twi'leks, like Lola Mersu, were not only _not_ barbaric people, but instead very wise individuals.

"Where are all the towns?" Jerome asked.

Luke, Lola, and Jerome were all staring outside the window of the main hold as the starship slowly descended onto the planet. However, for the last several minutes, all they've been seeing were rocks and desert.

"The people don't live in the open like they do on Coruscant," Lola explained, "They live in subterranean cities—in tunnels within mountains and underground to protect themselves from the violent heat storms."

Luke frowned to himself. Was Vader actually racist or did he know what he was talking about all along?

"Does your clan live in Lessu?" Jerome asked.

"No," Lola answered, "The capital is more of a collection of many peoples, rather than whole clans."

The starship descended into a large tunnel underground that soon opened up to be a massive spaceport. When they all finally landed, the Masters came to meet the Padawans in the main hold.

"Here's the plan," Anakin stated, "we're going to split up. Master Mundi, Lola and I are going to the capitol in the upper levels of the city to meet the Twi'lek Clan Council. That means you two," Anakin pointed towards Luke and Jerome, "will be accompanying Master Secura on her own assignment."

Upon hearing this news, Luke was both excited that he was going to do something other than typical diplomatic visits but also slightly annoyed that Jerome had to be in his group.

Glancing sideways at Jerome, Luke could tell that he felt the same way.

Luke looked back up at his father and realized he made these arrangements on purpose.

* * *

><p>The path Luke was taking with Master Secura and Jerome was much different than what his father was probably on. It was clear to Luke that they were well out of the tourist locations of the city as they descended further and further underground.<p>

"We're going to meet my friend, Cham Syndulla," Master Secura explained after she led the two boys down to a residential area.

Jerome nodded, "Yeah, I've heard of him. Isn't he the leader of the Twi'lek freedom fighters that fought in the Clone Wars?"

"He was," Master Secura nodded, "the group is formally disbanded now."

"Was he a Separatist?" Luke asked, unsure why this man would take up arms to fight in the war when there were already plenty of clones and Jedi to do the job.

"No, on the contrary, he fought against them," Secura replied. "But be warned, though he fought against separation, it does not mean that he places the Republic first before anything. He often sees senators as corrupt politicians unworthy of protecting and serving his home planet. Often times he is also not the biggest fan of the Jedi."

Jerome nudged Luke on the shoulder, "You'd get along with him."

Luke rolled his eyes and continued following the Twi'leki Jedi Master until she stopped in front of a building that seemed like apartments of some sort.

Luke frowned at the unfamiliar style of architecture. Was this an apartment or a single home? It looked like a lower middle-class establishment, but to all Luke knew about the planet, it could have been an upper class estate.

After Master Secura rang the doorbell, someone who seemed to look like a skimpy-dressed housekeeper answered the door.

"Ah," the woman said in her thick Twi'leki accent, "the General has been wondering for some time now when the Jedi would come to visit."

Master Secura frowned as the housekeeper led the Jedi to where Cham must be—she had not been in contact with the old general for years and years, why was he expecting Jedi to visit?

The Jedi were brought to a large dining room, where an old orange-skinned Twi'lek male sat at the head of the long table.

Luke and Jerome stood awkwardly in the doorway, not knowing whether or not this Cham Syndulla character was friend or foe.

Master Secura walked up to Cham and he looked up at her, "I was counting down the days when you would come, Aaylas'ecura. Tell me, are you here to talk about the Socialists?"

"What made you think I am here to talk about anything of that matter?"

Cham shrugged, "It's all anyone on Ryloth talks about anymore. Please, come sit. And tell your apprentices to come in too."

Luke and Jerome quickly glanced at each other and then came into the room to sit on the other side of Master Secura at the table, with Jerome sitting at Syndulla's right hand.

"These are not my apprentices actually, Cham. These are the Padawans of Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker. Do you remember them?"

"Of course I remember them, I'm not _that_ much older than you!" Cham chuckled, "They fought with us during the Battle of Ryloth during the Clone Wars. I'm surprised you brought them here, they seem young. I thought the Jedi didn't do things like that."

"The Jedi are changing it up a bit," Aayla answered. "I wanted to check up on you and see how you were doing."

"A Jedi does not travel lightyears to check up on a friend, Master Secura."

"I also came to check up on the planet."

Cham nodded, "Doing much better. Now that we got rid of that imbecile Orn Free Taa out of office at last, Ryloth is finally getting the attention it deserves from the rest of the galaxy."

"Attention," Aayla repeated, "What kind of attention?"

Cham shrugged, "As our current senator, Zhando Fenn, is the leader of the Rim Faction in the Senate, he is naturally a well sought-after man by different groups."

Aayla narrowed her eyes, "I see that you are beating around the bush here, Cham Syndulla. You are very eager to talk about the Socialist Party."

"Well I'm surprised that you're not!" Cham exclaimed, "It's all the talk nowadays."

"How so?"

"Just the debate on whether or not Ryloth should join the Party."

"I see," Aayla said grimly, not knowing that the topic was so widely discussed among her people that joining the Socialist Party was such a real possibility.

"It's a popular debate," Cham continued, "But with all debates, there are strong pros and cons." Cham turned to look at the apprentices, "Do either of you know anything about the Socialist Party or socialism in general?"

Jerome smiled and looked next to him at Luke's impasse facial expression, "Luke Skywalker knows a lot about socialism, don't you Luke?"

Luke shrugged, "Yeah."

Cham nodded, "What do you know?"

Luke sighed; there were literally a million things he could say about the socialists—what did this guy want? His frustration only further made Luke angry that Jerome would put him on the spot like this.

"I know the party was born on Corellia."

Jerome's smile broadened, "You know sir, Luke lived most of his life on Corellia."

Luke wanted to punch Jerome in the face right about now but he looked over at Cham and saw him nod enthusiastically, "What is Corellia like?"

Luke shrugged, "Pretty nice, I guess."

"What are the people like?"

Luke frowned, seriously unsure of where this conversation was going, "They're…alright."

"They're all humans, aren't they?"

Luke froze and Jerome's smile was so wide that all of his teeth were showing.

"In Coronet City, yes."

Cham looked over at the grinning Jerome and directed his next question towards him, "Why do you think Corellia nowadays is all human?"

"Because Corellians are racist, sir."

"They're not racist," Luke shot back at Jerome, trying to think of some reason that Corellians were indeed not racist. "Corellia is generally regarded as the home world of the human species—"

"No, Coruscant is." Jerome interrupted.

"And more humans like to live on Corellia than any other species," Luke continued, ignoring Jerome's input.

Jerome frowned, "I highly doubt that—"

"Besides, there are many other planets in the Corellian system in which the majority of the population are non-human."

"Why do you say non-human as if everyone either has to be human or they're not?" Jerome asked.

"Will you shut—"

"Thank you Luke and Jerome," Aayla interrupted, giving the two boys a stern look before they continued their argument any further.

Cham nodded his head for a moment, taking in all of the young boys' arguments.

"So do you think socialism is inherently a human ideology? And that any other race that takes up the ideals of socialism are simply practicing a derivative discourse?"

Luke frowned, "Absolutely not—socialism is supposed to promote equality between everyone. The job of a socialist is to spread this ideology to all corners of the galaxy for there to be universal freedom."

"Spoken like a true socialist," Jerome said with a mocking grin on his face.

Cham nodded, unaware that Jerome was actually making fun of Luke. "No, that's right. Socialist ideals are not inherently racist. It is the people who call themselves the leaders of the Socialist Party that apply their own personal racism to the ideology. And this is why the people of Ryloth are struggling with a decision."

Aayla frowned, "So the Twi'leks want to be socialist…but they don't like the party?"

Cham nodded and Aayla smiled, "Well…that's perfect! That's exactly what Senator Amidala said—you don't have to be a member of that corrupt party to be socialist."

Cham shrugged, "Well, I don't know how realistic that statement is right now. Nowadays, it's almost impossible to say you are a socialist Loyalist or a capitalist Socialist."

"Well of course not," Luke said, "You can't be a capitalist…_socialist_."

Cham shook his head, "We have another name for the members of the party, so to not confuse the ideals of socialism with the people that run the party. We call them Zoialists."

Luke frowned, never having heard of this term. "Who uses that word?"

"Usually the opposition," Cham answered, "as to separate true socialists from the greedy politicians that run the party."

Luke remained silent after this. He looked down at his lap and began twirling his thumbs, wondering if Darth Vader knew about people like Cham Syndulla that opposed his party but still endorsed of socialism.

"So in essence, Cham," Aayla said, boiling down to the main reason she came to see this man today, "do the people of Ryloth want to join the Socialist Party?"

"The people of Ryloth," Cham began, "have always been loyal to the Galactic Republic. And unfortunately, not only is the Socialist Party greedy, corrupt, and its leadership racist… But they also support a separation from the original constitution of the Republic, making them a separatist entity."

Aayla nodded, relieved, "Good."

"But don't get your hopes up," Cham said suddenly, "The Twi'lek Clan Council is not known for its democratic representation of what the people of Ryloth want."

"That's why you need to speak louder, Cham," Aayla pleaded. "You're such an influential voice here, surely the people would listen to you."

"The people struggling to live day to day in the slums of Lessu and the other cities of Ryloth will not listen to someone who eats right out of the Republic's hand while the rest of them starve. As I said before, our senator is receiving a lot of attention from certain socialist groups that would love for him to join the party. They'll lobby to him and give him anything he—or the rest of the planet—needs. I was not exaggerating when I said the socialist debate on Ryloth was a controversial one."


End file.
